In the absence of the Chair it was:

Resolved – That Councillor A Hodson be appointed Chair for this meeting. 

Members of the Panel are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non pecuniary interests, in connection with any application on the agenda and state the nature of the interest.

Members of the Panel were asked to declare any disposable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests, in connection with any application on the agenda and state the nature of the interest.

No such declarations were made. 

Resolved - That, under section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by the relevant paragraphs of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act.

To consider an item deferred from 13 December meeting.

The Corporate Director for Business Management reported upon whether Mr KC remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Private Hire Driver Licence. 

Mr KC did not attend the meeting.  As this was the second time Mr KC had been invited to attend and had failed to do so, Members resolved to continue with the meeting in his absence.

Members considered carefully the evidence provided by the Licensing Officer and determined that Mr KC was not a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Private Hire Driver Licence.

In coming to their determination Members also gave serious consideration to their overriding responsibility in respect of the protection and safety of the public.  The Panel applied the principle of proportionality enshrined within the Human Rights Act 1998 and considered that in seeking to ensure the legitimate aim of the protection of the public the decision made to revoke the licence with immediate effect was justified in the circumstances.

Resolved – That, in the interests of public safety, Mr KC’s Private Hire Driver Licence be revoked with immediate effect.