Conwy County Borough Council is poised to tighten the rules governing criminal-record checks for taxi and private-hire drivers after officers recommended a package of amendments intended to strengthen safeguarding across the county.
Committee to consider changes on 20 July
The council’s General Licensing Committee will consider the revised Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Criminal Convictions Policy at its meeting on 20 July. The report presented to members says the aim is to make clearer how the licensing authority decides whether an applicant or existing licence holder is a “fit and proper person” to hold a driver’s licence.
Officers say the review places a greater emphasis on protecting children and vulnerable adults and adopts what it describes as a “zero tolerance risk approach” to safeguarding concerns.
Major proposed changes
Among the most significant measures recommended in the draft policy are:
- requiring every applicant to have an enhanced DBS check with children’s and adults’ barred‑list checks;
- making continued subscription to the DBS Update Service a mandatory condition for the duration of a driver’s licence, with failure to subscribe leading to immediate suspension;
- removing delegated authority for officers to grant licences where a valid enhanced DBS with barred‑list checks is not available, meaning such applications would be referred to councillors;
- checking every application against the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3); and
- formally taking into account the Institute of Licensing’s national guidance when determining suitability.
| Requirement | Proposed effect |
|---|---|
| Enhanced DBS with barred lists | Applicants must provide; no officer sign‑off without it |
| DBS Update Service | Mandatory for licence duration; suspension for non‑subscription |
| NR3 checks | All applications checked against national register |
Practical impact for drivers and applicants
If the committee adopts the recommendations, applicants who have not yet obtained an enhanced DBS with barred‑list checks will not be able to receive a licence through officer decision-making. Instead, those applications would be escalated for determination by the committee. Licensing officers have also proposed that a driver’s failure to maintain subscription to the Update Service would result in immediate licence suspension until the subscription is reinstated.
The Update Service allows authorities to monitor DBS status without repeating full checks each time; the report frames it as a tool for ongoing oversight and quicker identification of issues that might affect public safety.
Next steps
Councillors on the General Licensing Committee will debate the proposed policy and may adopt, amend or reject the changes at the 20 July meeting. Any decision will determine how strictly safeguarding checks are applied to the county’s hackney carriage and private hire drivers going forward.
Members of the public and those working in the local taxi trade should watch for the committee’s decision and any subsequent guidance from the licensing department about transitional arrangements and compliance requirements.
