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.

Decision

To exclude the public during consideration of the following items 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 Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is enclosed.

The Hearing Panel considered a report from the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing regarding an application for street trader licence at the above location. The written papers and oral representations of the parties who attended the hearing were also considered, as well as the relevant legislation. The hearing as conducted in line with the established procedure for such hearings.

The Principal Licensing Officer confirmed that the applicant had failed to renew their Street Trading Consent so this meant that the application was being treated as a new request for consent. The application was requesting weekend days and an additional half hour than had been approved previously: Monday to Sunday, 07:00 to 14:30 daily. There had been 5 objections submitted from LOOH, Neighbourhoods Team and Highways Team (all Manchester City Council) and from Manchester Airport and a Local Ward Councillor, neither of whom could attend today. Additional documents were provided from the Principal Licensing Officer showing overhead views and plans in detail, emails from a local business and a plan for a proposed planning application on this site.

The applicant attended with an employee and addressed the Hearing Panel, stating that the unit was placed in a layby where a taxi rank signal was present, therefore taxis would come and wait before picking up jobs, avoiding the charges to wait on the airport taxi rank. They spend money at the unit and know they cannot remain there for long periods of time. Later in the day, the applicant placed traffic cones at the front to deter anyone from using the layby but these had often been moved when the applicant returned the next day which was a problem.

The Principal Licensing Officer stated that there was more to consider, in that private hire drivers were accepting jobs from the site yet there was a designated area for drivers to await being assigned work.

In responding to questions, the applicant stated that:

• The taxi drivers were a nuisance to the unit and the nearby pub by using both areas to sit and wait for jobs
• Lots of taxi drivers licensed by Wolverhampton were causing a nuisance in the area
• The applicant confirmed that one of his photographs showed the cones after they had been moved aside by taxi drivers
• Another photo provided by the applicant showed parking on double yellow lines, causing further nuisance in the area
• Another showed parking blocking a pathway
• The applicant would only allow 10-12 taxis on to their pitch at a time and move them on, effectively manning the area
• The applicant had reported drivers’ behaviour to Wolverhampton licensing unit several times and this helped in some cases
• The applicant would open a barrier across from their pitch at busier times
• The road layout and speed limit did not cause any traffic problems with traffic slowing down on their approach to the site as there were traffic lights ahead
• The applicant’s employee stated that the land was owned by Highways England
• The applicant had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 132.