Conwy Council set to tighten taxi DBS rules with mandatory update service and barred list checks
- Perry Richardson
- Jul 18
- 2 min read
Conwy County Borough Council’s General Licensing Committee is due to consider a revised Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Criminal Convictions Policy that would strengthen safeguarding requirements for hackney carriage and private hire drivers across the county.
The proposals will be discussed at the committee meeting on 20 July, with members being asked to adopt a series of amendments aimed at improving public protection.
The report states that the revised policy is intended to provide clear guidance on how the licensing authority determines whether an applicant or existing licence holder is a “fit and proper person” to hold a taxi or private hire driver’s licence. Officers say the review places a greater emphasis on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, adopting what is described as a “zero tolerance risk approach”.
Among the most significant proposed changes is a requirement for all applicants to undergo an enhanced DBS check that includes checks against the children’s and adults’ barred lists. The revised policy also states that licensing officers would no longer have delegated authority to grant a licence unless a valid enhanced DBS certificate with barred list checks is available. Applications that do not meet that requirement would instead be referred to the General Licensing Committee for determination.
The authority is also proposing to make continued subscription to the DBS Update Service a mandatory condition throughout the life of a driver’s licence. Under the draft policy, drivers who fail to maintain their subscription would face immediate suspension of their licence. The Update Service allows licensing authorities to carry out regular status checks without requiring a new full DBS application each time.
Further safeguards would see every application checked against the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3). Officers are also proposing that both applicants and decision-makers formally take account of the Institute of Licensing’s national guidance on determining the suitability of taxi and private hire licence holders.
The revised policy also tightens the authority’s approach where criminal proceedings remain outstanding. Rather than allowing licences to be issued while proceedings continue, applications would not be granted until the conclusion of any criminal case.
The draft also strengthens wording around the use of police intelligence and other non-conviction information, stating that safeguarding concerns and the safety of the travelling public must remain the paramount consideration when decisions are made.
While much of the document consolidates existing licensing practice, the proposed amendments reflect the direction of travel seen across the taxi licensing sector since the Department for Transport introduced statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards. Increasing numbers of licensing authorities have moved towards continuous criminal record monitoring through the DBS Update Service and greater use of the NR3 database to prevent drivers refused or revoked by one authority from obtaining a licence elsewhere.
