Agenda item

Dispensations

Report of the Town Clerk.

Minutes:

The Sub Committee then proceeded to consider each request including, with the agreement of the Chairman, 3 requests received after the agenda papers had been published. The Sub Committee asked that it be recorded that previous dispensations requests granted should not be considered ‘as precedent’ going forward. The Sub Committee emphasised that the default position was that a Member with a disclosable pecuniary interest in a matter could not speak or vote, and that the onus was on the Member concerned to satisfy the Sub Committee that one of the relevant grounds for granting a dispensation had been met. All requests would be considered on merit based on the information provided and with due regard to all relevant circumstances.

 

The Sub Committee noted that in this case all of the requests for dispensations related to the same item of business to be heard by the Barbican Residential Committee, on the charging policy for car parking and stores. The Sub Committee considered that a distinction should be made between those resident Members who actually had a car parking space or storage space at present and those that did not – with the latter being allowed to speak, but not the former. The Sub Committee also considered that, where a Member was being refused a dispensation, another Ward Member on the Barbican Residential Committee who did not have a disclosable pecuniary interest, or did have a dispensation to speak, could effectively represent the views of constituents.

 

Arising from the Sub Committee’s detailed consideration of the dispensation requests, and with Members having only taken account of all relevant issues in their determination including committee composition and details of the individual disclosable pecuniary interest and any comments of the Comptroller and City Solicitor, it was

 

RESOLVED – That the Sub Committee’s decisions on each request for a dispensation be as follows:-

 

Mark Bostock

 

Partially granted (speaking rights only) - a dispensation be granted to speak only at Barbican Residential Committee on 21 June 2018 on charging policy for car parking and stores, Barbican Estate

 

 

Deputy David Bradshaw

 

Rejected - request refused for a dispensation to speak on car parking and baggage stores costs at Barbican Residential Committee on 21 June 2018

 

 

Deputy Joyce Nash

 

Rejected - request refused for a dispensation to vote on car park charges and store room charges at Barbican Residential Committee until ward elections in 2021

 

 

Deputy John Tomlinson

 

Rejected - request refused for a dispensation to speak and vote on car park charges and store room charges at Barbican Residential Committee on 21 June 2018

 

 

Mary Durcan

 

Rejected - request refused for a dispensation to speak and vote on car park charges and store room charges at Barbican Residential Committee on 21 June 2018

 

 

William Pimlott

 

On facts described by Mr Pimlott in his application, the Committee’s view is that he could not have a disclosable pecuniary interest, and therefore it would not be appropriate to grant him a dispensation. 

 

However, the Committee’s guidance is that, in its view, it would not be a breach of paragraph 14 of the Code for him to speak only (but not vote) on the matters in question.

Supporting documents: