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 2.

Disclosable pecuniary interests

Councillor Mahil declared an interest in agenda item No. 14 (Pavement Licensing Policy) and in agenda item No. 19 (Report on Overview and Scrutiny Activity). Councillor Mahil left the room during discussion and determination of the items.

Other significant interests (OSIs)

The Monitoring Officer stated that in relation to agenda Item No. 11 (Annual Review of the School Place Planning), the report recommended capital funding allocations for works to be undertaken at a number of schools, as set out in the recommendations of the report

The Monitoring Officer advised that where a Member was a governor at one of these schools, he considered that the Member had an Other Significant Interest (OSI) in the matter, arsing from the fact that the Member would be in position of general control or managerial control. In such cases, Members were advised they should declare their OSI, leave the chamber and not participate in the debate or vote.

Agenda item 8A was a motion to discuss the changes to the winter fuel allowance payable to pensioners. Some Members might be directly affected by the changes recently announced by the government regarding entitlement to the allowance. Other Members may have family members, friends or others with whom they had close personal relationship whose entitlement to the benefit may be affected. The Monitoring Officer advised that in those circumstances, Members should declare an OSI.

Due to the number of Members that may be affected and the impact that would have on proportionality of votes, the Monitoring Officer had exercised a delegation to grant a dispensation to all Members for a period of six months. This meant that Members who had an OSI would be entitled to remain in the meeting during discussion of the matter and to take part in the discussion and vote.

The following Members declared an OSI for motion 8A in relation to themselves: Councillors Anang, Browne and Van Dyke.

The following Members declared an OSI for motion 8A in relation to a close friend or relative: Councillors Bowen, Cook, Coombs, Field, Gilbourne, Gurung, Hackwell, Jackson, Joy, Lawrence, Mahil, Murray, Osborne, Paterson, Peake, Pearce, Perfect, Louwella Prenter, Stamp, Mrs Turpin and Wildey.

The following Members declared an OSI for motion 8A in relation to themselves and a close friend or relative: Councillors Crozer, Gulvin, Jones, Kemp and Price.

Councillor Cook declared an interest in agenda item No. 11 (Annual Review of the School Place Planning Strategy 2022-27) as she is an employee of the Leigh Academies Trust and her business relationship with a number of the schools mentioned in the report. Councillor Cook left the room during discussion and determination of the item.

Councillor Anang declared an interest in agenda item No. 11 (Annual Review of the School Place Planning Strategy 2022-27) as he is a Governor of Rivermead Inclusive Trust. Councillor Anang left the room during discussion and determination of the item.

Other interests

Councillor Howcroft-Scott declared an interest in agenda item No. 11 (Annual Review of the School Place Planning Strategy 2022-27) as her foster child attends the Hundred of Hoo School and she sometimes helps the school, although she was not a governor.