Draft Additional Council Procedure Rule

1.     A Member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Other significant Interest in a matter to be considered, or being considered at a meeting must:

(a) disclose the interest; and

(b) explain the nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration or when the interest becomes apparent (subject to paragraph 5 of this Standing Order); and unless he/she has been granted a dispensation:

(c) not participate in any discussion of, or vote taken on, the matter at the meeting; and

(d)        withdraw from the meeting room whenever it becomes apparent that the business is being considered; and

(e)        not seek improperly to influence a decision about that business.

2.         A Member with an Other Significant interest, may attend a meeting but only for the purpose of making representations, answering questions or giving evidence relating to the business, provided that the public are also allowed to attend the meeting for the same purpose, whether under a statutory right or otherwise.  The Member will withdraw from the meeting room immediately after making representations, answering questions or giving evidence.

3.         Where a Member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Other Significant Interest in a matter under discussion (unless a dispensation has been granted in accordance with paragrapgh1 of this Procedure Rule), chooses to participate in the discussion and vote, the Chairman will refuse to count the ‘vote’ of the Member concerned, for the ‘vote’ will have been cast illegally and cannot be considered to be a vote at all. The Chairman may apply the rules in Council Procedure Rules 27.3 and 27.4 relating to the ‘improper obstruction of business’.

4.      The Chairman may request that a Member declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or an Other Significant Interest and, if appropriate, leave the meeting room, should he/she have reason to believe that the provisions of the Code of Conduct and/or this Procedure Rule are being breached.

Scheme of Delegation to Officers

 Additional Delegations to the Monitoring Officer

1.      Appointed as Proper Officer for the purposes of receiving applications for dispensation pursuant to section 33(1) of the Localism Act 2011.

2.      In consultation with the Chief Executive to grant dispensations to Members pursuant to section 33(2) of the Localism Act 2011 to speak only or to speak and vote where:

(i) so many members of the decision-making body have disclosable pecuniary interests in a matter that it would impede the transaction of the business; or

(ii) without a dispensation, no member of the executive would be able to participate on a particular item of business.

3. Appointed to receive complaints relating to alleged breaches of the adopted Code of Conduct and to process complaints in accordance with the adopted Arrangements for dealing with Code of Conduct Complaints.

4.      Power to appoint Members of the Standards Committee to the Standards (Assessment)Sub Committee and the Standards (Hearings) Sub Committee