Agenda item

Members are invited to disclose any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Significant Interests in accordance with the Member Code of Conduct.  Guidance on this is set out in agenda item 4.

Members sought clarification as to whether they should declare a ‘significant interest’ on a planning application and leave the meeting for determination of a planning application purely by virtue of an applicant being a member of the same political association. The Legal Adviser informed Members that just being in the same political association did not automatically mean that they had a close association with the individual concerned and ultimately, it was for each individual Member to consider this and to determine whether they considered that they had an interest that warranted declaring a significant interest and withdrawing from the Committee for the determination of the application.

Disclosable pecuniary interests

There were none.

Other significant interests (OSIs)

The Chairman, Councillor Mrs Diane Chambers referring to planning application MC/21/1703 - Land adjacent to Balancing Pond, St Andrews Park, Halling, informed the Committee that as the applicant had been a former Medway Councillor and had served on the Planning Committee she would withdraw from the meeting for the consideration and determination of this planning application.

The Vice Chairman, Councillor Buckwell referring to planning application MC/21/1703 - Land adjacent to Balancing Pond, St Andrews Park, Halling, informed the Committee that as the applicant was a member if the same Conservative Association and he personally was Chairman of that Association, he would withdraw from the meeting for the consideration and determination of this planning application.

Councillor Barrett referring to planning application MC/21/1703 - Land adjacent to Balancing Pond, St Andrews Park, Halling, informed the Committee that although he had not had any contact with the applicant for 3 years, as he had been known to him in the past he would withdraw from the meeting for the consideration and determination of this planning application.

Councillor Thorne referring to planning application MC/21/1703 - Land adjacent to Balancing Pond, St Andrews Park, Halling, informed the Committee that as the applicant was a member if the same Conservative Association, he would withdraw from the meeting for the consideration and determination of this planning application.

Councillor Potter referring to planning application MC/21/1703 - Land adjacent to Balancing Pond, St Andrews Park, Halling, informed the Committee that as the applicant had been a former Medway Councillor and had served on the Planning Committee he would withdraw from the meeting for the consideration and determination of this planning application.

Councillor Potter also referred to planning application MC/21/1239 – St Thomas Moore RC Primary School, Bleakwood Road, Walderslade, Chatham and informed the Committee that he would withdraw from the Committee for the consideration and determination of this planning application on the basis that this was a grant maintained school and he was the Portfolio Holder for Education and Schools.

Other interests

Councillor Tranter referring to planning application MC/21/1703 - Land adjacent to Balancing Pond, St Andrews Park, Halling, informed the Committee that although the applicant had been a former Medway Councillor, he did not socialise with the individual and therefore would remain in the meeting for the determination of this application.

Councillor Etheridge referring to planning application MC/21/1703 - Land adjacent to Balancing Pond, St Andrews Park, Halling, informed the Committee that although the applicant had been a former Medway Councillor and was a member if the same Conservative Association, he had no relationship with the individual and did not socialise with him and therefore would remain in the meeting for the determination of this application.

Councillor Opara referring to planning application MC/21/1703 - Land adjacent to Balancing Pond, St Andrews Park, Halling, informed the Committee that although she had known the applicant in the past she would remain in the meeting for the determination of this application.

Councillor Adeoye referring to planning application MC/21/2643 (42 New Road, Chatham) informed the Committee that she wished to address the Committee as Ward Councillor on this application and therefore would take no part in the determination of the application.