The Licensing Panel of North Northamptonshire Council met on Thursday 25 September 2025 to discuss a number of licensing issues. The panel was scheduled to consider a request for dispensation from the council's Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, as well as several reports regarding the fitness of individuals to hold private hire driver licences. The meeting was scheduled to be available for the public to view via the council's Democratic Services' YouTube channel.

Driving Miss Daisy Rushden

The panel was scheduled to consider a report regarding a request from the Driving Miss Daisy Rushden franchise for dispensation from the North Northamptonshire Council Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy. The owner and operator of the business is Mr Martin Buglass.

Driving Miss Daisy is a private hire franchise that provides transport and companionship for elderly, disabled, and vulnerable people.

The report noted that Mr Martin Buglass had previously appeared before the Licensing Panel on 1 July 2025, and the business was allowed dispensation from certain aspects of the licensing policy.

According to the report, Mr Martin Buglass was requesting a review of the seating measurement condition for his Peugeot Horizon Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle. The vehicle is currently licensed for one passenger and one wheelchair because of its non-compliant rear seating measurements.

The council’s licensing policy states:

Each hirer must have available 400mm of seating width or multiple thereof measured at the narrowest point with the doors closed. For example any fixtures or fittings significantly protruding into the passenger space such as armrests must be deducted from the width measurement.

Mr Martin Buglass had emailed Russ Howell, Licensing and Support Service Manager, requesting a review of the seat restriction for his vehicle. Mr Howell responded that 400mm has always been the nationally accepted minimum seat width.

Mr Martin Buglass then requested that the seat measurement restriction for his vehicle and future vehicles be reviewed by the Licensing Panel, asking for full use of the vehicle's two rear seats.

The report asked the panel to consider the information and determine what, if any, dispensations Driving Miss Daisy should be permitted from the council policy.

Private Hire Driver Licences

The panel was also scheduled to consider reports relating to the fitness of individuals to continue to hold a Private Hire Driver Licence, and an application for a Private Hire Driver Licence. These were listed on the agenda as:

• Consideration of fitness of individual to continue to hold a Private Hire Driver Licence - AA
• Consideration of fitness of individual to continue to hold a Private Hire Driver Licence - NR
• Consideration of an application for a Private Hire Driver Licence - SK

These reports were not for publication, by virtue of paragraphs 1 and 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972¹.