Taxi licence refused after unreported crash raised by council

Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

A council’s general licensing committee has refused a private hire licence for a taxi involved in a crash not reported to the authority.

Conwy councillors on the general committee voted seven in favour of refusing the application and one abstention at a meeting this week.

The application, submitted by Barry Dimelow of Lyn-An Ltd, related to a Skoda Octavia.

But a committee report stated officers were unable to grant the application because the vehicle did not meet the council’s private hire vehicle conditions.

The council’s private hire vehicle conditions stipulate that “all vehicles must be under five years old from the date of first registration”.

The policy also says vehicles must be in an “exceptionally good mechanical and bodily, interior, and exterior condition”.

But councillors were informed that the applicant had failed to report a crash to the authority within 72 hours as required by Conwy’s Private Hire Operators and Vehicle Policy.

At the meeting at the authority’s Coed Pella HQ, Cllr Chris Brockley asked the applicant: “Is there a reason why it (the crash) wasn’t reported by the operator at the time of the accident or, I believe, within 72 hours of the incident?”

Mr Dimelow replied: “I didn’t know it needed to be reported because there was no other vehicle in the incident. The driver clipped the wall.”

Speaking to Mr Dimelow, Cllr Andrew Wood said: “How long have you been an operator of taxis? You’ve obviously been with Conwy for a few years. Is that right?

Mr Dimelow replied the company had been operating for “about 20 years”.

Cllr Wood said: “So presumably you’ll be very au fait with the rules and regulations in which we operate and the amendments we do from time to time?”

Mr Dimelow replied that he was.

The report said the vehicle had previously operated as a private hire vehicle from November 2023 until the licence was automatically revoked on March 14, 2026.

The licence was suspended on November 12 last year on the grounds of “public safety” due to a cracked rear light.

Report 

According to the report, the rear light was repaired within the suspension period, but the car’s body condition notice was extended for a further month from December 11.

When licensing officers followed up the matter on January 14, 2026, they were informed the vehicle had been involved in a crash.

The suspension notice then expired on 14 March, with the vehicle licence being automatically revoked in accordance with the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976.

Cllr Andrew Wood proposed the committee refused the application; this was seconded by Cllr Geoff Stewart, and councillors voted in favour of refusal.