Issue - meetings

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

Item 8 – Domestic Tax Base

The Director of Governance and Compliance stated that any Members who owned properties in the Borough that they rented out would have a disclosable pecuniary interest and the proposed changes may potentially affect them as private landlords.  Ordinarily with a disclosable pecuniary interest they could not take part in the meeting and must not vote unless a dispensation had been granted.  The Council’s Audit and Governance Committee had granted a number of general dispensations to all Members, one of which relating to Council tax setting under the 1992 Act.  This general dispensation could be used to enable those Members who had a pecuniary interest to participate and vote on this agenda item. Ultimately it was a matter for Members if they wished to declare a pecuniary interest and leave the meeting or they wished to rely on the dispensation.  Members of Town and Parish Councils did not need to declare on this Item.

Councillors D Murphy, S Holland, R Bailey and P Redstone made a declaration of interest in relation to this matter. Councillor D Stockton declared that the property on his Register of Interest Form marked ‘sold subject to contract’ had now been sold.

Item 12 – Update on Appointment of Chief Executive

Kath O’Dwyer, acting Chief Executive, and Frank Jordan, acting Deputy Chief Executive, both declared an interest and stated that they would leave the meeting for this item.