Agenda and minutes

To approve the record of the meeting held on 18 September 2012. 

The record of the meeting held on 18 September 2012 which was agreed and signed by the Chairman as correct, subject to the following change at minute number 383: -

·        The words, “where may affect so many Councillors that the Council or Committee would be inquorate”, were removed from the first paragraph;

·        The words, “and it considered granting the dispensation was in the interests of persons living in the area”, were added to the end of the decision.

The Monitoring Officer also reported verbally that having considered the issue of developing a de minimis threshold further in relation to dispensations, he did not advise the committee to pursue the concept of a formal de minimis rule for Disclosable Pecuniary Interests.

To receive apologies for absence. 

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Adrian Gulvin. 

The Chairman will announce any late items which do not appear on the main agenda but which he/she has agreed should be considered by reason of special circumstances to be specified in the report. 

The Chairman announced that an additional complaint had been received and he had accepted this as an urgent item to avoid unnecessary delay in considering the complaint. 

A member need only disclose at any meeting the existence of a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) in a matter to be considered at that meeting if that DPI has not been entered on the disclosable pecuniary interests register maintained by the Monitoring Officer.

A member disclosing a DPI at a meeting must thereafter notify the Monitoring Officer in writing of that interest within 28 days from the date of disclosure at the meeting.

A member may not participate in a discussion of or vote on any matter in which he or she has a DPI (both those already registered and those disclosed at the meeting) and must withdraw from the room during such discussion/vote.

Members may choose to voluntarily disclose a DPI at a meeting even if it is registered on the council’s register of disclosable pecuniary interests but there is no legal requirement to do so.

In line with the training provided to members by the Monitoring Officer members will also need to consider bias and pre-determination in certain circumstances and whether they have a conflict of interest or should otherwise leave the room for Code reasons. 

There were none. 

This report summarises the content of agenda item 6, which, in the opinion of the proper officer, contains exempt information within two of the categories in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. It is a matter for the Committee to determine whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of document. 

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the exempt material relating to agenda items 6 and 7 because consideration of these matters in public would disclose information falling within Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as specified in agenda item 5,and, in all the circumstances of the case, the Committee considers that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

The committee is requested to consider a complaint about a Councillor that has been received by the Monitoring Officer. 

Discussion:

The committee considered complaint CCC/001/12 received by the Monitoring Officer on 12 October 2012.

Decision:

The committee decided to take no further action.

The committee is requested to consider a complaint about a Parish Councillor that has been received by the Monitoring Officer.  

Discussion:

The Committee considered complaint CCC/002/12 which was received by the Monitoring Officer on 6 November 2012.

Decision:

The Committee decided to take no further action.