The Licensing Committee of Middlesbrough Council met on Monday 24 August 2026 to discuss licensing updates and consider applications for private hire vehicle driver licences. The committee granted delegated authority to Licensing Officers to determine applications for exemptions from the vehicle age policy for wheelchair accessible vehicles. Decisions were also made regarding two private hire vehicle driver licence reviews, with one licence permitted to remain in force with conditions and the other revoked.

Licensing Updates

The committee received a verbal update from the Council's Legal Representative regarding a recent contested appeal hearing at the Magistrates' Court. The appeal, which concerned a previous Licensing Committee decision, was dismissed by the Court. The Court found that the Licensing Committee had acted in accordance with the Council's Policy and relevant fit and proper person guidelines. Middlesbrough Council was also awarded costs of £1,000.

Request for Delegated Authority - Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles

The committee approved a request to grant delegated authority to Licensing Officers to determine applications for one-year exemptions from the Council's vehicle age policy for wheelchair accessible hackney carriage and private hire vehicles. This decision was made in response to a significant decline in the number of licensed wheelchair accessible vehicles in Middlesbrough, which had fallen from approximately 150 in 2020 to 32. The Department for Transport's Best Practice Guidance recommends moving away from vehicle age restrictions towards emissions, safety, and accessibility requirements. The delegated authority is subject to the vehicle remaining safe and mechanically fit, passing additional compliance inspections, and meeting any enhanced testing requirements. This measure aims to support the continued availability of accessible transport services while a wider review of the Council's taxi licensing policies is undertaken.

Review of Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence - Ref: 23/26

The committee reviewed the Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence for Ref: 23/26. Following a complaint from Council Neighbourhood Safety Wardens regarding an incident involving a vulnerable passenger with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the committee heard evidence from the wardens and the driver. The wardens reported that the driver initially expressed reluctance to undertake the journey due to concerns about the passenger's presentation, but agreed after being informed of the passenger's medical condition. A subsequent confrontation between the driver and wardens was also reported. The driver provided an alternative account, denying refusal and disputing aspects of the complaint.

After considering all the evidence, including body-worn video footage and witness statements, the committee decided to permit the driver to retain his licence. However, a formal warning was issued regarding the driver's behaviour and conduct. Additionally, the driver was required to undertake Disability Awareness Training and Safeguarding Training, along with a medical assessment, within three months. The committee noted that while there were administrative errors in the wardens' statements, their oral evidence was credible. They found the driver's demeanour appeared aggressive during the follow-up incident and were concerned he had not ascertained the passenger's disability until after arriving at the passenger's home. The committee acknowledged that the passenger was safely transported home and no complaints were made by the passenger.

Review of Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence - Ref: 24/26

The committee reviewed the Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence for Ref: 24/26, which involved multiple motoring convictions and failures to notify the Council of these convictions within the required timescales. The convictions included speeding offences and the use of a mobile phone while driving, resulting in the driver accumulating twelve penalty points on his DVLA licence. Although the driver successfully argued exceptional hardship to retain his DVLA licence, the committee considered his history of offences and breaches of licence conditions.

The driver had previously appeared before the Licensing Committee in 2014 and received a warning. During the interview with Licensing Officers, the driver accepted responsibility for the offences and provided explanations, including a failure to notify the Council of a change of address. The committee found the driver to be dishonest in not disclosing his convictions and believed this was a deliberate attempt to conceal his offences. They also noted a pattern of poor driving and concern over the use of a mobile phone while driving.

Based on the evidence, the Licensing Committee decided to revoke the driver's Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence with immediate effect, deeming it to be in the interests of public safety. The committee concluded that the driver was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence due to his continued offending and failure to follow policy procedures. The driver has the option to appeal this decision to the Magistrates Court.