Agenda and minutes

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Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence and Declarations of Interest

To receive any apologies for absence and declarations of interest.

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence or declarations of interest.

 

2.

Exclusion of the Public and Press

Consideration of reports containing exempt information within the meaning of section 100I and paragraph 1 part 1 Schedule 12A Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that under section 1001 of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following items of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 part1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

 

3.

Determination of a Private Hire/Hackney Carriage Drivers Licence

To determine a private hire/hackney carriage drivers licence.

Minutes:

The Licensing Support Officer gave a summary of the report.

 

The applicant had applied to the Council for a Private Hire/Hackney Carriage Driver’s renewal licence on 25February 2021 to work for his own company; he had held an Operator’s licence with UDC for one year.

 

On the application form in answer to question 4 ‘Do you have any

endorsements on your DVLA licence?’ the applicant had answered and declared that on 24 January 2019 he had received 3 points for 3 separate SP30 offences, (4 November 2018, 2 November 2019, 12 January 2020).   He stated that he had no passengers in his vehicle for the two earlier occasions.  The applicant had not established if he had passengers in his vehicle for the most recent offence. 

 

The applicant had undertaken a taxi driving assessment on 25 November 2019 when he had a total of 6 points on his DVLA licence but had then a year later on received another 3 points on his DVLA licence.

 

The applicant came before members for them to determine whether he was a ‘fit and proper’ person to hold a licence as he had not met the Council’s licensing standards.

 

In response to a question from the Chair, the Licensing Support Officer confirmed that the applicant had completed the driver licence application form.

 

The applicant said he could not understand why he had not reported the points to the Council; he apologised and said that for the January 2020 conviction he had not had notification until May 2020.  He explained that the points were received in the very early morning and had been in areas where the speed limit had just reduced from  40mph to  30mph and on one of the occasions at the Dartford Tunnel  the speed limit had reduced from 70mph to 60mph and then 50mph. 

 

In response to a question from Councillor Day the applicant said that he had not reported the penalty points to his insurance company until the renewal date.  On both the earlier occasions, he said that his employer, Barnston Luxury Travel, had been notified of the points and he had presumed that they would have informed their insurance company. 

 

In response to a question from the Chair the applicant confirmed that the date on page 2 was incorrect and that both conviction and offence dates were the same, 12 January 2020.

 

Further to another query from the Chair, the applicant explained that he had taken the Uttlesford District Council (UDC) test early as he had been informed by an Officer to do so, but when he had taken his papers into the Licensing team he had been told that the test was not required.  He had subsequently been told that the first Officer he had spoken to had been a temporary member of staff and had given incorrect information.  He had taken another test on the 14 April 2021, as soon as lockdown had lifted.

 

In response to further questions from Councillor Day the applicant confirmed he had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.