Public Inquiries in Eastbourne, London and the South East
The Traffic Commissioner for the South East of England Traffic Area is based in Eastbourne at Ivy House on Ivy Terrace, a stones throw from the town’s railway station. Despite Eastbourne being one of the most awkward places to get to, the Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OFT) has been based here for many years.
The Traffic Commissioner is currently Sarah Bell as from the 1st November 2016.
Most public inquiries in the South East of England for goods and passenger vehicle operator licence holders take place in Eastbourne. A proportion of them are held at venues away from Eastbourne with many done in central London locations such as Breams Buildings near Chancery Lane, the TLF building in Blackfriars or a location near to Victoria Station.
Public inquiries are called by the Traffic Commissioner for two main reasons. The first is whether an application for an operators licence (or to change an existing one) needs to be considered at a formal hearing. Secondly (and this is what the majority of public inquiries relates to) where operator licence holders face disciplinary action for alleged breaches of the law, contraventions of the conditions on their operators licence or similar misdeeds.
You can find out more about the public inquiry process on our page called About Public Inquiries. Basically, a public inquiry is a formal legal hearing set up a bit like a court or tribunal. Evidence, witnesses and legal arguments all take place and a formal legally binding decision is made by the Traffic Commissioner.
The Traffic Commisisoner’s office at Eastbourne deals with all public inquiries within the London and South East of England Traffic Area.
The London and South East of England Traffic Area
The South East of England Traffic Area covers most of what is generally known as the South East of England. It includes nearly all of the area within the M25, Greater London and the counties of Kent, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex.
The following towns and cities all fall within the London and South East Traffic Area : London itself, Dartford, Gravesend, Croydon, Madestone, Guildford, Crawley, Aldershot, Tonbridge, Tunbidge Wells, Brighton, Worthing, Bognor Regis, Chichester, Sevenoaks, Horsham, Bexhill, Hastings, Folkestone, Ashford, Dover, Canterbury, Ramsgate, Margate and Sittingbourne.
There are 1,130 passenger vehicle operator licences and 9,200 goods vehicle licences issued within the London and South East Traffic Area.
Public Inquiries in Eastbourne
Public inquiries take place in a court room on the fourth floor of Ivy House in Eastbourne. The hearings will be presided over by the Traffic Commissioner himself or a deputy.
In the year 2014/2015 there were a total of 303 goods vehicle and 49 passenger vehicle public inquiries in the London and South East of England Traffic Area.
Of the goods vehicle public inquiries, 205 of them were to consider disciplinary action and 97 for considering applications. 29 of the passenger vehicle public inquiries were for application to be decided and 20 for disciplinary action.
Outcomes of Goods Vehicle (HGV) Public Inquiries in the South East of England
Result of disciplinary public inquiries :
From 205 goods vehicle public inquiries called for disciplinary action, 51, about a quarter of them, ended with the operators licence being revoked. 64 goods vehicle licences were suspended and 43 were curtailed. Only 12 (less than 6%) resulted in no action taken.
Result of applications heard at public inquiry :
97 goods vehicle applications were dealt with at public inquiries over the course of the year. Nineteen were refused outright and 67 were granted.
The outcome of passenger vehicle public inquiries in the South East of England
The result of disciplinary public inquiries for passenger vehicle operator licences was as follows:
Out of 29 public inquiries for disciplinary action, 5 ended with the operators licence revoked, 6 were suspended and 5 had their vehicle numbers reduced. Only 8 out of the 29 resulted in no action being taken.
Result of applications heard at public inquiry :
There were 20 passenger vehicle applications dealt with at public inquiry. Six were refused outright. Only 8, 40% of these, were granted in full.
What to do if you've been called to a public inquiry in Eastbourne, London or the South East
First of all, recognise that any public inquiry called for any reason is a very serious thing. Secondly recognise that getting legal advice and having an experienced transport law solicitor on your side is at least half of the problem sorted.
A good transport law specialist solicitor will be able to get stuck into your case and do all sorts of things to get you ready to face the Traffic Commissioner and come away with a good outcome.
We strongly recommend that you speak to us urgently if you've had a call to public inquiry. Nearly all of our clients (well over 90%) have a successful outcome at their public inquiries.
We regularly handle public inquiries in Eastbourne, London and the South East and know exactly how to prepare and present a successful case. We've been doing it for years and have helped hundreds of operators through what is always a very difficult and uncertain time.
Your chance of a successful outcome at your public inquiry increases dramatically if you have experienced and skilled legal representation. So choosing a good transport solicitor is of vital importance.
Please call Simon Newman on 01302 775522 or email him on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I will be very glad to talk through your situation and review your papers free of charge to enable you to make an informed decision about what to do.
