Change of base
Page 26
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THE PURCHASER of a three-vehicle haulage business who moved two vehicles to another operating centre without altering the licence conditions, was granted two new licences in Preston last weekâone for the old base and one for the new.
At a resumed inquiry before the North Western deputy LA, Mr. G. Newman, Mr. T. H. Derbyshire, of Rawtenstall, was applying for the continuation of his B-licensed vehicle and new A licences for one vehicle based at Orrell and two vehicles at Rawtenstall for J. T. Ward Ltd., a company he had bought two years previously.
Eleven furniture removers and parcels carriers objected to the fact that almost immediately on purchase of the Ward business at Orrell, two vehicles had been transferred to Rawtenstall. Mr. J. A. Backhouse, on behalf of some of the objectors, submitted that this constituted not only a new base to that declared on the application form for renewal signed by Ward before the purchase, but also meant that new traffic to that declared on the normal user was being carried.
As the firm had acted contrary to its declared intention, the existing licence should be revoked he said. Evidence showed that work at Orrell was now being satisfactorily undertaken by one 'vehicle and, alternatively, the LA should remove the other two vehicles from the licence under Section 177, since the work for which it was authorized had ceased to flow.
Mr. Backhouse submitted that the Rawtenstall licence should not be granted since the firm had no legitimate business there and evidence had been given that a local remover had had to de-tax a vehicle due to lack of work.
Mr. Newman said that subject to the surrender of the existing three-vehicle Ward licence, which was not due to expire until 1970, he would grant one vehicle at each centre with conditions: "Furniture and household effects, joinery, parcels and animal feedingstuffs; Lancashire and North Wales" with goods for two named customers in respect of the Rawtenstall vehicle, The Derbyshire B licence renewal was also granted.