Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves or their spouse, civil partner or person with whom they are living with as a spouse or civil partner.  They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

The Chairman will ask Members if they have any interests to declare in respect of items on this agenda, under the following headings:

(a)          Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI) under the Localism Act 2011.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DPI, the Member must leave the meeting and not take part in the discussion or vote.  This applies even if there is provision for public speaking.

(b)          Disclosable Non Pecuniary (DNPI) under the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council in May 2012.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DNPI interest, the Member may stay, speak and vote on the matter.

Advice to Members:  If any Councillor has any doubt about the existence or nature of any DPI or DNPI which he/she may have in any item on this agenda, he/she should seek advice from the Director of Corporate Services as Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal or from other Solicitors in Legal Services as early as possible, and in advance of the Meeting.

No Interests were declared.

Recommendation from Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 9 September 2015 (Report added 14 September 2015).

An Extraordinary Meeting of the Cabinet had been convened to consider the recommendation from the Scrutiny Committee held on 9 September 2015, which had met to consider the call-in item regarding Members’ Localism Grants.  The report set out the original decision of the Cabinet, the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendation for the Cabinet, and the options available.

The Cabinet Member for Localism, Sport, Heritage and Culture introduced the report, and thanked the Scrutiny Committee for their consideration of this matter.  He acknowledged that perhaps the form of words in the report to the Cabinet on 15 July 2015 could have been clearer to show that the £7,500 underspend was being put back into reserves and then used to ensure there was enough money to fund the Localism Grant Scheme.  He proposed the recommendation in the report, and explained he considered it would be fairer for the rollover to be shared equally between all Members of the Council.  This was seconded by the Chairman who explained why it was important for the funding to be allocated in accordance with the Council’s priorities, and not just spent to use up the allocation by the end of the financial year.

The Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee referred to the review undertaken by the Scrutiny Committee and said that he was disappointed that the Cabinet would not be taking forward its recommendation.

Another Member spoke in support of the Cabinet’s proposal and gave an example of how the Scrutiny recommendation could be unfair, for example, if a Member was ill. 

Resolved:

That the rollover be distributed equally between all Members as per the original proposal put to Cabinet on 15 July 2015 and that the proposal from the Scrutiny Committee be rejected.