The officers consider that the following item or items contains exempt information as provided for in the Local Government Access to Information Act and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. The Committee is recommended to agree the necessary resolutions excluding the public from the meeting during consideration of these items. At the time this agenda is published no representations have been that this part of the meeting should be open to the public.

A recommendation was made that the public is excluded during consideration of the items of business.

Decision

To exclude the public during consideration of the following item which involved consideration of exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of particular persons, and public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

The report of the Head of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is attached.

The applicant attended the meeting and addressed the Hearing Panel.

The Licensing Officer provided the background to the circumstances of the review.

The panel was informed that the applicant had a recent conviction in relation to plying for hire and driving without insurance.  This is a serious offence for a private hire driver and puts the public at risk as they are uninsured for the journey and also their details are not recorded.

The Panel did not accept the applicant’s version of events that he had been passing through the area to go home and stopped to give directions to the customer. 

The Panel considered it was a deliberate act and the driver had stopped knowing there was an opportunity for a fare and he decided to take the opportunity. In the circumstances the Committee considered there were no reasons to depart from the guidelines and therefore refused to renew the licence.

Decision

To refuse to renew the licence.