NEW licensing guidelines were on the agenda when licensing practitioners from across the North West met as Hyndburn Council hosted the North West Region Institute of Licensing training day.

Discussions were held about new guidance to help local authorities making decisions about the suitability of applicants and licensees in connection with taxi and private hire driver, vehicle and operator licences.

Sixty delegates also discussed a range licensing issues,

Cllr Joyce Plummer, cabinet member for licensing, said: “We were pleased to host this very informative regional training day, as the council takes its duties as a licensing authority very seriously and public safety is at the heart of everything we do.

"We carried out a consultation with our hackney carriage and private hire trade in relation to the adoption of the new guidance and we’ll take a report to cabinet in October to determine whether the guidelines should be adopted as council policy.”