RHA objection fails
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rEMPTS by a company now receivership to get a new nce application heard in prie failed in Cambridge last ak. Objections also failed.
he Eastern Licensing hority, Kenneth Peter, sitting n an assessor appointed by nsport Secretary Nicholas ley, directed that the applica1 by Michael Cave Ltd — a npany formed by two former actors of Planthaul, which is y in receivership — be dealt h in public apart from any incial evidence which might commercially sensitive.
rlanthaul Ltd went into revership in July, owing considble sums to other hauliers. thee' Cave sought a new innational licence for eight licles and 12 trailers. The ad Haulage Association opsed on the grounds that the intenance of the vehicles ght be prejudiced by a lack of ancial resources.
Aichael Cave, the company's inaging director and former inaging director of Planthaul, d it was presently operating th an interim licence. It acialised in the movement of normal loads. Mr Cave had found £250,000 worth of work booked which would carry it through to February. He had learn_ed considerable lessons from what had happened to Planthaul. Michael Cave was substantially smaller.
Questioned by Richard Hegarty for the RHA, Mr Cave said that at the beginning of July he had no inkling that a receiver would have to be appointed in Planthaul on July 21. The company's original financial director had got out of his depth, and the purchase of the wrong computerised accounting system meant that it did not get accurate management accounts.
Towards the end of July, Planthaul incurred a major bad debt and a winding up order was made against it by a French company.
He agreed that a note to the Planthaul 1981 accounts stated that a loan made to him by the company was in contravention of the Companies Act. He said it had related to travel abroad on behalf of the company.
Granting a licence for 15 months, Mr Peter said the RHA objection was understandable as it was not a case where a new company had been formed following the liquidation of the previous company and continuing to trade as before. It seemed to him and the assessor that the financial requirements of the Act were likely to be satisfied.