🏖️ Seven Mile Beach vendors denied permits take legal action

Nine small business owners, who were denied permits to trade on the popular Seven Mile Beach, have been granted leave to apply for a judicial review. The court has temporarily suspended the enforcement notices that were preventing these vendors from conducting business on the beach. Out of 120 applicants, only 34 merchants were granted licenses to trade at this location. The vendors have accused the government of not providing sufficient guidance or details about the scoring criteria for obtaining a license, and failing to offer a means of redress for those who were refused. 📑

The vendors, all of whom are Caymanians, have been trading in the area for between two and 19 years, most for over a decade, without any incidents. They have accused the Public Lands Commission of acting unlawfully and in violation of the Constitution by not providing an appeal process. These vendors claim that their business on Seven Mile Beach is their primary or only source of income. Several of them had entered into contracts with other companies to provide services to cruise ship passengers, as they were given no indication that the government would be limiting the number of vendors allowed to operate. 🏝️

The vendors are arguing that the entire process is unfair and the decision to prevent them from conducting their businesses and earning a living is unreasonable and disproportionate. The court has instructed each of the vendors to file affidavits by 23 February detailing their circumstances and providing evidence of the promises they claim were made by the Public Lands Commission regarding the grant of a vendor license. A date for the next hearing has not yet been confirmed. ⚖️