📜 New amendments to Seven Mile Public Beach Vendor Policy approved

Vendors at the Seven Mile Public Beach can now appeal decisions made on their permit applications, following the approval of amendments to the Seven Mile Public Beach Park Vendor Policy by the Cabinet. The changes are aimed at enhancing transparency and fairness in the vendor permit application process. Applicants can now request the reasons behind the decisions made on their applications and seek a review of those decisions. The review process will be conducted by a committee of at least three ex-officio Public Lands Commission (PLC) members and will be based solely on submitted documents. 📑

The revised policy also emphasizes strict enforcement of regulations regarding unauthorized commercial activities on public lands and the immediate vacating of unauthorized vendors. Those who did not apply for or were not granted a vendor permit must now vacate public land immediately. It remains unclear if the nine vendors who applied for a judicial review after being denied licenses will have to vacate the beach. Vendors who applied for a permit in 2023 and who now request a review within the designated timeline may continue trading on-site until a determination of those reviews is made. The PLC will contact vendors directly with details of the review process. 🏖️

The unauthorized, unregulated, and unlicensed vending at Seven Mile Public Beach has been a concern for the public for several years. The policy was rolled out last year without a review process, with only 38 out of around 120 applications granted licenses. Applicants who were refused complained about the lack of clarity in the process and its subjective language. Under the new policy, anyone who fails to cease trading when ordered to do so is liable to a fine of up to CI$5,000 or up to six months imprisonment upon summary conviction. 🚫