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 be excluded during consideration of the following items of business.

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.

To consider any items which the Chair has agreed to have submitted as urgent.

-       Review of a Private Hire Driver Licence – ST

(For consideration following the exclusion of public from the meeting)

The Chair had agreed to the addition of the following item as urgent business.

The Hearing Panel considered the content of the report and the written and oral representations made by the Licensing Unit officer, SAT and their appointed interpreter.

The Licensing Unit Officer informed the Hearing Panel that the Licensing Unit had received information regarding SAT’s involvement in a very serious allegation. Due to the nature of this allegation the Licensing Unit had suspended SAT’s licence with immediate effect. The Licensing Unit Officer confirmed that the police investigation was now complete and the police were not pursuing any further action against SAT.

SAT addressed the Hearing Panel and explained that they did not know how the allegations had been brought against them and that they have always had a clean record.

In their deliberations, the Hearing Panel accepted that the police had dropped the charges against SAT and could therefore see no reason to keep the suspension ongoing.

Decision

To lift the suspension on SAT’s licence.

The report of the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is enclosed.

The applicant did not attend the hearing and the Hearing Panel felt that they should be given an opportunity to address the panel at a future date.