The Regulatory and Appeals Sub-Committee of Newcastle upon Tyne Council met on 15 September 2025 to discuss several applications for private hire licences, as well as to review existing licences. Councillors were asked to declare any personal interests relating to the agenda items. The reports relating to these applications and reviews were exempt from press and public access due to the likely disclosure of exempt information, according to Section 100A and Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Private Hire Driver Applications and Reviews

The sub-committee was scheduled to consider multiple applications for new private hire driver's licences and reviews of existing licences. The applications were:

• Application for New Private Hire Driver's Licence - Ref: 112331
• Application for New Private Hire Driver's Licence - Ref: 105199
• Application for New Private Hire Driver's Licence - Ref: 111203
• Application for New Private Hire Driver's Licence - Ref: 110788

The reviews of existing licences were:

• Review of Private Hire Driver's Licence - Ref: 115457
• Review of Private Hire Driver's Licence - Ref: 115478

Licensing Guidelines

The sub-committee was provided with guidelines formulated from the Department for Transport's Statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards (Updated November 2022) and the Institute of Licensing's Guidance on determining the suitability of applicant and licensees in the hackney and private hire trades (April 2018).

The guidelines stated that each case would be dealt with on its own merits, with the protection of the public as the overriding objective. The guidelines also covered the treatment of convictions, cautions, fixed penalties and community resolutions.

Cautions, fixed penalties and community resolutions shall be treated as convictions and considered in making fit and proper determination.

The guidelines also specified time periods that must elapse before a licence would normally be granted, depending on the type of offence. These included:

• Offences of Dishonesty: at least 7 years since completion of any sentence.
• Offences of Violence: at least 10 years since completion of any sentence; refusal for murder, manslaughter or culpable homicide.
• Offences of Discrimination: at least 7 years since completion of any sentence.
• Possession of a Weapon: at least 7 years since conviction or completion of any custodial sentence.
• Supply of Drugs/ Cultivation of Drugs: at least 10 years since completion of any sentence.
• Possession of Drugs: at least 5 years since completion of any sentence.
• Sexual and Indecency Offences: a licence would not normally be granted.
• Licensing Offences: refusal for offences such as driving without the appropriate licence or using an unlicensed vehicle during the previous 2 years.

The guidelines also addressed driving offences, stating that existing licensed drivers who accrue more than 6 penalty points and up to 9 penalty points for minor driving offences within a three-year period may be requested to undertake a driver improvement course.

For the avoidance of any doubt, the Regulatory & Appeals Sub-Committee could, if deemed appropriate, impose a period of suspension and direct that a driver who falls under this provision to undertake a driver improvement course at their own expense, with their suspension ending on the date that they successfully passed the course, as opposed to them serving the full period.

The guidelines stated that applications would usually be referred to the Regulatory & Appeals Sub-Committee for determination with a policy to refuse until a period of 2 years has lapsed since the date of the last conviction where an applicant/licence holder has 6 or more penalty points for a single offence or where the Court has disqualified the driver for a single offence, this will be considered as a major traffic offence.

The guidelines also addressed DVLA disqualifications, stating that a licence should not be granted until at least 7 years have elapsed since the completion of any sentence or period of disqualification for drink driving or driving under the influence of drugs.