Have you tried applying for one? Is so, when?
It may be hard if you have done now, or recently, as they're still undergoing the process of changing the fee and size structure. That's why they'v given Uber a temporary 4 month licence, until they sort it out.
I'm on my second operator's licence, and haven't had a problem applying for my first one, and at the renewal (which was a couple of years ago now).