West Lindsey District Council

A taxi driver in Gainsborough has had his taxi licence revoked following a complaint received from a member of the public.

West Lindsey District Council’s Regulatory sub-committee made the decision to revoke his taxi licence following a hearing on Thursday 21 July 2022.

After hearing all the evidence, the committee determined that the driver, due to his behaviour, could no longer be considered a fit and proper person to hold one of West Lindsey District Council’s taxi licences.

Kim Enderby, Senior Licensing Officer for West Lindsey District Council dealt with the case. He said: “We were contacted by a member of public who reported being in a ‘road rage’ type incident involving a vehicle displaying a West Lindsey Taxi Licence plate.

“A dashcam on the car driven by the witness had captured the whole incident. We immediately began an investigation, interviewed the taxi driver and assessed all available evidence. We believed that the way in which he had behaved fell far short of what is expected by West Lindsey District Council.

“This decision by the Regulatory Sub -Committee sends a clear message and shows the public that poor behaviour by anyone licensed by West Lindsey District Council will not be accepted.”

Cllr Owen Bierley Leader of West Lindsey District Council said: “Revoking a licence is never an easy decision as we are fully aware of the impact this has on any individual.

“We had to decide based on the information before us, would we allow a person for whom we care, regardless of their condition, to travel alone in a vehicle driven by this person at any time of day or night? Was this driver a fit and proper person to continue to hold a licence issued by the council.

“After watching and hearing all the evidence we no longer had the confidence that this driver should be allowed to continue to operate on one of our licences.

“The Sub-Committee had concerns as to his conduct and his ability to adhere to the highest standard of conduct that the council holds licensed drivers to, noting that the code of conduct is very explicit in that regard.

“The paramount reason of hackney carriage and private hire licensing is to protect the public above all else. As a consequence, it would be inappropriate to allow a driver to retain a licence, when it was felt they may pose a risk to public safety. We will not fail to hold to account anyone who falls below the high standards we expect of anyone operating on a licence issued by West Lindsey District Council.”

There is a 21-day appeal period, after which if no appeal is lodged the licence is revoked. Due to legislation we are unable to disclose the name of the taxi driver involved.

Read more about the Council’s taxi licencing process here: www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/licensing/business-licences/hackney-carriage-taxi

Families are invited to step back in time and join us at our Merrye Olde Market which returns to Gainsborough next month.

Vintage fairground rides including a carousel, and a vintage organ, costumed characters and nostalgic entertainment from Punch and Judy will feature throughout the day, so make sure you save the date.

West Lindsey District Council is delighted to host the free event in the Market Place, which is currently a regeneration hub for development. Work to create a Thriving Gainsborough 2024 was kickstarted thanks to our Townscape Heritage Initiative and our Levelling Up Fund.

Visitors will be able to see work is progressing on a number of buildings in the town centre as we work to restore the shop fronts and create more living space above the shops. They will be able to ask about the plans for the town centre whilst enjoying a fun-packed day out.

Cllr Paul Howitt-Cowan, member champion for heritage and leisure at the Council is delighted to see the return of the Merrye Olde Market.

He said: “The Townscape Heritage Initiative project is looking to both restore historic buildings in Gainsborough town centre – specifically on the Market Place and on Lord Street. It also aims to provide activities to develop the local community’s understanding and appreciation of local history. I would encourage as many people to come out as possible and enjoy this day of fun nostalgic entertainment!

“Our Saturday market will take place along with the Farmers and Craft Market so it is a great way for people to think local when shopping. It is another opportunity to take part in a summer celebration in West Lindsey and also offers a further opportunity for locals to reconnect with their childhood.”

Townscape Heritage Activity Co-ordinator, Theresa Workman, has been planning the day, building on last year’s event. She has arranged for costumed characters from our local heritage attractions and free activities on the side stands to take place. There will also be lots of information about visiting your local sites or volunteering opportunities.

Theresa added: “We are delighted to be able to build on the success of the Merrye Olde Market from last year, and make it a day to remember for our local residents. It would be fantastic to see as many people as possible turn out to this event, all you need to do is turn-up and enjoy a day of free and inexpensive entertainment, we’ll be open from 9am until 3pm!”

Join us for a fun-packed day out for everyone in the Market Place on Saturday 13 August.

Attractions on the day include:

• Professor Paul Temple’s Punch and Judy show, as seen on TV, 3 FREE performances throughout the day
• FREE children’s carousel rides
• A real fairground organ
• Vintage fairground Striker
• Costumed characters from our local heritage attractions will provide free activities on the side stands
• Information about visiting your local sites
• Information about volunteering.

The free entertainment has been made possible by Gainsborough’s Townscape Heritage Initiative which is funded by the National Lottery and the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. We would like to thank all players of the National Lottery.

For more information about out Townscape Heritage Initiative visit this link.