The Licensing Panel of North Northamptonshire Council met on Monday 18 May 2026 to consider the fitness of several individuals to hold private hire and hackney carriage driver licences, as well as one operator licence. The panel made decisions to revoke three driver licences and issue penalty points to another driver, while also considering a request for dispensation from the council's licensing policy for Grange Transport Ltd.

Consideration of Fitness of Individuals for Licences

The panel considered several applications regarding the fitness of individuals to hold Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver Licences, and in one instance, a Private Hire Operator Licence.

Revocation of Private Hire Driver Licence (Agenda Item A6) The panel resolved to revoke a private hire driver's licence after applying the fit and proper person test. They stated they did not have the required confidence in the driver, emphasising that driving a private hire vehicle requires a high standard of professionalism and that public safety was their primary concern.

Revocation of Private Hire Driver Licence (Agenda Item A7) In a similar case, the panel resolved to revoke another private hire driver's licence. The driver did not attend the hearing, preventing the panel from exploring the circumstances of the events in question or understanding the lack of communication with the licensing authority. Applying the fit and proper person test, the panel concluded they did not have the required confidence in the driver, citing the need for a higher standard of professionalism which had not been demonstrated.

Consideration of Private Hire Driver and Operator Licence (Agenda Item A8) The panel considered an application for a private hire driver licence and the retention of a private hire operator licence. They resolved that the applicant was not a fit and proper person to hold a private hire driver licence, stating they did not have the required confidence as the role is a position of trust. Regarding the operator licence, the panel concluded that the applicant had failed to provide certain information to the licensing authority. Eight points were issued on the operator licence for failing to notify the licensing authority of convictions when applying for the licence, which will remain for five years in line with policy.

Revocation of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver Licences (Agenda Item A9) Due to the licence holder's non-attendance, the panel was unable to explore the circumstances of the events or receive reasons for not informing the licensing authority of certain incidents. The panel noted the licence holder had been disqualified for 17 months and took the police common law disclosure extremely seriously . Applying the fit and proper person test, the panel decided to revoke both the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver Licences with immediate effect, stating they did not have the required confidence due to a lack of demonstrated conduct and professionalism.

Penalty Points for Private Hire Driver Licence (Agenda Item A10) The panel resolved to apply eight penalty points to a private hire driver's licence, to remain in place for three years. While the panel had the required confidence in the licence holder, they considered that the driver's conduct had fallen short of the required professionalism by not making a declaration within the stipulated 48 hours of an offence occurring.

Dispensation from Licensing Policy for Grange Transport Ltd (Agenda Item A6)

The panel considered whether Grange Transport Ltd should be granted dispensation from an element of the North Northamptonshire Council Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy. The company sought to license three vehicles that did not meet the current Euro 6 emission standards, which is a requirement for new and replacement vehicle licence applications under the policy adopted on 3 November 2025.

The report detailed that three vehicles had previously been licensed in error in October 2025, despite not meeting the Euro 6 criteria. Grange Transport Ltd argued that they had relied on the policy published on the council's website at the time, which stated there was no minimum age requirement for purpose-built wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) and that they could remain licensed until 15 years of age. They stated that two of these vehicles, KUB and BUO, had their plates returned in good faith, believing all three new vehicles would be licensed. The company had purchased three further WAVs at a cost of £30,000, plus additional improvement costs, based on prior confirmation from the council and the publicly available policy.

The council's Licensing Manager, Russ Howell, explained that the previous licensing of the vehicles was an administrative error and that staff could not knowingly make a decision contrary to the authority's policy. He noted that the policy adopted on 3 November 2025 required all newly licensed and replacement vehicles to meet at least Euro 6 emission standards.

The report also highlighted that the North Northamptonshire Council Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy (April 2025 – March 2028) stated that No new applications for vehicles fuelled by diesel only or petrol only will be processed after 31 March 2025 . However, the policy document itself, dated April 2025 to March 2028, states at section 10.7: All vehicles presented for first licensing from 1 January 2030 must be zero emission vehicles. and at 10.8: Non-zero emissions vehicles (of any type) will not be renewed after 31 December 2034 and must come off the road by the same date.

The report indicated that the company had invested further funds to bring the vehicles up to council standards and that the disruption risked continuity of transport for their SEND passengers. Grange Transport Ltd requested the licence for BAV, the reissue of plates for KUB and BUO, and clarity on the future policy position. The report stated that the panel should ensure that if they decided to go against council policy, the recorded decision demonstrates the reasons for doing so.

The outcome of this item was not explicitly detailed in the provided decision documents.