| 198 | ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN |
| | | Michael Coulson was elected as Chairman for the meeting and it was agreed that the Chair should be rotated between Independent Members until the Monitoring Officer had recruited new Independent Members. It was agreed that Anthony Dance would Chair the meeting on 7 October 2009. |
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| 199 | RECORD OF THE MEETINGS |
| | | The records of the meetings held on 29 April 2009 and the 6 May 2009 (Joint Meeting of all Committees) were signed by the Chairman as correct. |
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| 200 | APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE |
| | | Apologies for absence were received from Janet Gray (Independent Member), Beverley Jenkins (Independent Member) and Councillor O'Brien. |
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| 201 | DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST |
| | | Parish Councillors Buckwell, Coomber and Marsh declared Personal Interests in Agenda Item 6(B) Request for Dispensation as they were acquainted with Parish Councillors Beckey and Budd from St Mary Hoo Parish Council. |
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| 202 | NEW STANDARDS COMMITTEE REGULATIONS 2009 |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Monitoring Officer introduced a report that updated the Committee following the implementation of the Standards Committee (Further Provisions) (England) Regulations 2009.
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| The main changes were presented as follows:
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| | • | To enable the Standards Board for England to suspend the functions of a Local Standards Committee.
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| | • | To allow for 2 or more Authorities to establish a joint Standards Committee.
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| | • | To allow the Standards Committee to grant a dispensation whereby the number of members prohibiting from voting on the business of the authority at a meeting would, but for the granting of any dispensations relating to that business, upset the political balance of that meeting to such an extent as to prejudice the outcome of the voting in that meeting.
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| The Monitoring Officer informed Members that she had been contacted by Kent and Medway Fire Authority who stated that at that time there was no drive from themselves to have Joint Standards Committees.
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| | > Standards Committee Regulations 2009 (pdf file 106.8kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | The Committee asked the Monitoring Officer to send a briefing note outlining the changes to the Standards Committee Regulations to all Members and Parish Clerks. |
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| 203 | REQUEST FOR DISPENSATION |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Monitoring Officer introduced a report asking the Committee to consider a request from 3 members of St Mary Hoo Parish Council for a dispensation from the requirement of the Member's Code of Conduct to withdraw from a meeting when matters in which they have a prejudicial interest are considered.
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| A request had been received from three Parish Councillors from St Mary Hoo Parish Council, for dispensation to speak and vote on matters relating to the Parish Council's Area, which lies within the vicinity of the Councillors' properties, notwithstanding that the Councillors have a prejudicial interest. The letters of request received from Councillors Beckey, Budd and Hassell are attached at Appendix 1.
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| The request was made due to the number of Councillors having prejudicial interests in this matter in that their properties lie within the vicinity of the proposed planning application to construct a roundabout at the junction of the A228 and Fenn Street, St Mary Hoo at Fenn Corner. With three members of the Parish Council having prejudicial interests in the matter, due to the proximity of their properties to the area, the Parish Council would not be able to discuss the matter (due to there being no quorum) unless a dispensation were to be granted.
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| | > Dispensation report (pdf file 112.7kb) |
| | > Appendix 1 MHPC dispensation - Beckey (pdf file 65.4kb) |
| | > Appendix 1 MHPC dispensation - Budd (pdf file 64.8kb) |
| | > Appendix 1 MHPC dispensation - Hassell (pdf file 64.2kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | The Committee granted dispensations to Parish Councillors Becky, Budd and Hassell to speak and vote on matters relating to the Parish Council's Area, which lies within the vicinity of the Councillor's properties, notwithstanding that the Councillors have a prejudicial interest until 4 working days after the next Parish elections. |
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| 204 | ANY OTHER BUSINESS |
| | | The Committee were concerned that a meeting between the Independent Members of the Committee and Group Leaders had not yet taken place and asked the Monitoring Officer to arrange this meeting as soon as possible after the forthcoming By-Election.
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| The Monitoring Officer informed the Committee that an article to promote the recruitment of New Independent Standards Committee Members would be in the next issue of the Medway Matters magazine.
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| Members were concerned that they had not received a reply from the Standards Board for England relating to certain outstanding complaints and asked the Monitoring Officer to investigate this matter and report back to the next meeting.
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