The Licensing and Regulatory Subcommittee of Northumberland Council met on Thursday, 19 February 2026. The meeting primarily focused on licensing matters, with three applications being adjourned to allow applicants to attend, and one Private Hire Driver's Licence being revoked due to non-compliance.

Private Hire Driver's Licence Revoked

The subcommittee unanimously decided to revoke a Private Hire Driver's Licence with immediate effect. This decision was made in the absence of the applicant, who failed to attend the hearing and had not provided a reason for their absence. The applicant had held a licence since August 2023, due to expire in August 2026.

The core issue was the applicant's failure to provide an annual DVLA check code, which is required for multi-year licence holders to ensure continued compliance with council policy regarding motoring offences. Despite numerous attempts by the Licensing Authority to contact the applicant via email, letter, and telephone, no response was received. The provided telephone number appeared to be out of service, and the applicant had not notified the council of any changes to their contact details, a breach of council policy.

The subcommittee determined that, without the DVLA check code, they could not be satisfied that the applicant remained a safe driver with a good driving record. In the interest of public safety, and given the applicant's disregard for regulatory requirements, the licence was revoked under Section 61 (1)(b) and S61 (2B) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976¹. The applicant has the right to appeal this decision to the Magistrate's Court within 21 days of receiving written notification.

Adjourned Licensing Applications

Three other licensing applications were considered but adjourned to a future meeting. In each case, the applicant was not in attendance. The Senior Licensing Officer, Heather Gebbie², explained that the applicants had requested deferral due to being on holiday or having recently started a new job, which prevented their attendance. The subcommittee agreed to adjourn these matters, with a warning that applications may proceed in the applicants' absence if they fail to attend the next scheduled meeting.