Issue - meetings

The report of the Borough Solicitor and Monitoring Officer describes and explains the requests which have been made by six Members of Twemlow Parish Council for a dispensation to enable them to take part in debate and vote upon any matters relating to the former Oil Depot, Twemlow which is likely to come before the Parish Council for consideration. 

The Committee was invited to determine an application submitted by six Members of Twemlow Parish Council for a dispensation which, if granted, would enable them to take part in debate and vote upon matters relating to the old Ministry of Defence Oil Storage Depot, Twemlow.  The application had been made in anticipation of a forthcoming planning application concerning the Depot; the Parish Councillors stating that they each had a personal and prejudicial interest in the site as they knew well/were personal friends of the applicant and/or lived directly opposite the site. 

The Deputy Monitoring Officer explained that it was the role of the Committee to determine whether the application should be granted.  In accordance with the Code of Conduct and in the absence of any dispensation, the Parish Councillors would be required to declare a personal and prejudicial interest in any planning application, which would render the Council inquorate, unable to perform its role as a statutory consultee to the planning application and would prevent the Parish Council from representing the views of its residents.

A copy of the Standards for England Dispensation guidance was attached to the report for information.  Members noted that the applicants had no right of appeal against the decision of the Committee and that, if members were minded to support the application, a reasonable time limit should be applied. 

RESOLVED:  That i) a dispensation be granted to the members of Twemlow Parish Council named in the report (subject to the correction of Graham Holborn’s name to Graham Holborow); members to be permitted to speak and vote thereon on matters concerning the Oil Storage Depot, Twemlow; and ii) the dispensation to remain in force until the end of April 2015.            

(Note: Having previously declared a personal and prejudicial interest and in accordance with the Code of Conduct, Parish Councillor P Barnett left the meeting and took no part in the discussion and voting on the item.)