Statement on The Flying Horse, Smarden

An Ashford Borough Council spokesperson said: "We recognise the good intentions behind the ‘pub taxi’ service that has been offered by The Flying Horse, Smarden and their charitable community fundraising for the MND Association which remains one of our Mayor’s charities for 2025/26.

However the council must balance good intentions with our regulatory responsibilities as the Licensing Authority and as soon as it came to our attention, the business was informally contacted to find out more. On confirming the service amounted to private hire, the business was initially asked to cease the service in absence of the relevant licences.

We can confirm that we have provided the business with information on private hire licensing in order to comply with current legislation and our Licensing team remains open to assisting the business should they wish to apply for the relevant licence.

A business providing a car for hire with the services of a driver – with or without direct payment of money – is a licensable activity. Whilst exemptions to the requirements exist, these are typically limited to services such as funeral cars, wedding cars, care-workers transporting clients under their care, and genuine ambulance services.

The purposes of private hire licensing is to ensure that drivers, vehicles, and operators are safe and suitable, so that that unregulated transport services do not pose a risk to the safety of the passengers or the wider public. This is completed by performing checks mandated through best practice and statutory guidance relating to driver backgrounds, vehicle standards, and ensuring that the vehicle is appropriately insured for such services. Ashford Borough Council remain committed to ensuring public safety in this regard."