To receive apologies for absence (to include reasons, where appropriate) from Members/Officers.

Apologies for absence were received from the following Members for the reasons so stated:

To receive for approval the public minutes of a Licensing Sub-Committee dated 10 June and 8 July 2014.

RESOLVED:                     That the minutes of meetings of the Licensing Sub-Committee held on the 10^th June and 8^th July 2014 were approved as a true and accurate record.

To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008.

          None.

The minutes/reports relating to the following items are not for publication as they contain exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of Part 4 and/or Paragraph 21 of Part 5 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information)(Variation)(Wales) Order 2007.

If following the application of the public interest test the Committee resolves pursuant to the Act to consider these items in private, the public will be excluded from the meeting during such consideration.

RESOLVED:         That under section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business as they contain exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 12 of Part 4 and Paragraph 21 of Part 5 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

                               Following the application of the public interest test it was resolved that pursuant to the Act referred to above to consider the following items in private, with the public excluded from the meeting, as it was considered that in all the circumstances relating to the items, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, because the information would be prejudicial to the applicants.

To receive for approval the confidential minutes of a Licensing Sub-Committee dated 10 June and 8 July 2014.

RESOLVED:         That the confidential minutes of meetings of the Licensing Sub-Committee held on the 10^th June and 8^th July 2014 were approved as a true and accurate record.

The Assistant Chief Executive - Legal and Regulatory Services submitted a confidential report regarding the following application for the grant of a licence to drive Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles.

Mr Stephen Mark Cooper

38 Chantal Avenue, Penyfai, Bridgend

The Applicant who appeared before the Sub-Committee confirmed his name and address and the accuracy of the report, and was afforded the opportunity to make representations in support of his application.

The Licensing and Registration Officer asked the Applicant whether he was aware of any pending proceedings, including summonses, fixed penalty notices or similar or any other circumstances which had changed since he had signed the declaration on the application form.  The Applicant confirmed there were no matters pending in the Courts including summonses, fixed penalty notices or similar or any other circumstances.

The Licensing and Registration Officer informed the Sub-Committee that the Applicant had been summoned to appear before it due to his conviction for theft on the 7^th September 1989 for which he received a £200 fine on each count, and was ordered to pay costs and compensation.

The Applicant responded to questions from the Licensing and Registration Officer in relation to those convictions, for dishonestly taking two electrical items from the warehouse where he worked at the time.  He informed the Sub-Committee that the two items, a broken telephone and answerphone, could not be returned to the suppliers and had been placed in a skip ready for disposal.  He explained that at the time he had been interested in CB and ham radio, and knowing the items would be thrown out had taken them.  However, he was caught and subsequently prosecuted and sacked.  He advised that he had realised in hindsight that it had been a mistake to just take them without asking permission, as his boss had indicated to him that he would have given him the items if he had asked.

The Applicant then responded to questions from the Licensing and Registration Officer in relation to his conviction on the 7^th November 2011 in relation to two counts of failing to notify change of circumstances affecting entitlement to any benefit payment advantage under the Social Security Administration Act 1992, which related to a false claim for benefits.  The Applicant received a prison sentence of four weeks on each count, running concurrently, which was reduced to four weeks.  He informed the Sub-Committee that at the time he had been self-employed and was desperate to find work.  He was caught and had admitted making the false claim; however it then took two years for the case to go to Court, which he explained had been a horrendous time for him waiting for the summons.  His sentence was subsequently reduced to four weeks.

The Licensing and Registration Officer commented that the nature of the benefits claim was so serious that a prison sentence was imposed, and asked the Applicant to indicate how much money had been involved.  The applicant informed the Sub-Committee that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.