Blackpool Council rejects private hire driver licence over violent and dishonesty convictions not listed on application
Blackpool Council’s Public Protection Sub-Committee has refused a private hire driver licence application from an individual known only as ‘RRA’ following the disclosure of two serious criminal convictions.
The application, first submitted on 30 June 2022, faced significant delays as the applicant struggled to meet the requirements of the process. Licensing Enforcement Officer Ryan Ratcliffe presented the case, detailing that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate, obtained in November 2022, revealed convictions for a violent offence and one involving dishonesty. The convictions had not been disclosed on RRA’s application form.
Mr Ratcliffe highlighted Blackpool Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire convictions policy, which outlines strict criteria for offences of this nature. Under the policy, licences are not granted until 10 years have elapsed since the completion of any sentence for violent offences and seven years for offences involving dishonesty.
The Licensing Service recommended following this policy, advising the Sub-Committee to reject the application due to the severity and recency of the offences. Mr Ratcliffe also expressed concerns about the applicant’s failure to disclose the convictions.
The applicant attended the hearing, explaining that they were seeking the licence to support their family financially. They attributed their omission of the convictions to a misunderstanding, claiming their limited proficiency in English had contributed to the error. The applicant further argued that their past offences no longer reflected their current character.
After a private deliberation, the Sub-Committee concluded that the nature of the offences and their relatively recent occurrence raised significant concerns about their suitability to hold a licence. They determined that the representations made by the applicant failed to demonstrate sufficient evidence of fitness and propriety.
The decision was finalised with a resolution to refuse the application, in line with Blackpool Council’s licensing policy.
