1 To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.
2 To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in respect of the above information.
3 If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-
RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of those parts of the agenda designated as exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.
Minutes:
RESOLVED – That the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as exempt on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as follows:-
(a) Appendix B to the report referred to in minute 181 under the terms of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(3) and on the grounds that it is not publicly available from the statutory registers of information kept in relation to certain companies and charities. It is considered that since this information has been prepared for the Council’s assessment of various property transactions then it is not in the public interest to disclose this information at this point in time. Also the release of such information would or would be likely to prejudice the Council’s commercial interests in relation to and undermine its attempts to acquire by agreement similar properties in the locality in that owners of other similar properties would be aware about the nature and level of consideration which may prove acceptable to the Council. It is considered that whilst there may be a public interest in disclosure, much of this information will be available from the Land Registry following completion of the purchase and consequently the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing this information at this point in time.
(b) Appendix 1 to the report referred to in minute 188 under the terms of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(3) and appendix 2 to the same report under 10.4(3,6), and on the grounds that it contains information about the commercial position of the City Council in relation to the proposed procurement; information which would reveal action the authority proposes to take under legislation, in relation to identified sites which are subject to separate consultation in the first instance with residents and staff concerned. The public interest of maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing such information. Whilst it is considered that there is public interest in disclosure of this information at the earliest opportunity, it is deemed more appropriate, and consequently of greater public interest to ensure that the information is released once a decision has been made by Executive Board.
(c) Appendix 1 to the report referred to in minute 189 under the terms of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(3) and on the grounds that it contains information which if disclosed to the public would, or would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the Council. The Appendix contains commercially sensitive information which if disclosed may prejudice the future negotiation of the contract for the project.
(d) Appendices 1 and 2 to the report referred to in minute 185 under the terms of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4 (3) and on the basis that it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) which if disclosed to the public would, or would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of that person or of the Council. The proposals have been considered in terms of the benefit that the Council would seek as part of any proposal to make its land available to facilitate any S106 requirements.
(e) Appendices B and C to the report referred to in minute 194 under the terms of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4 (3) and on the grounds that they contain information that is commercially sensitive relating to the Council’s ongoing waste PFI procurement and the financial and business affairs of Bidders, where the benefit of keeping the information confidential is considered greater than that of allowing public access to the information.