Agenda and minutes

Councillor Tony Owen was appointed Chairman for 2013/14.

Apologies for absence were reported from Councillors Stephen Carr and Eric Bosshard, who were replaced by Councillors Colin Smith and Russell Mellor. Apologies had also been received from Councillor Tom Papworth.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 1^st May 2012 be confirmed.

The Chairman to move that the attached report be considered on grounds of urgency to enable the request for a dispensation from Cllr Eric Bosshard to be determined before the meeting of Plans Sub-Committee No. 4 on 30^th May 2013.

Report RES13109

The Committee considered an urgent request for a dispensation from Councillor Eric Bosshard that would allow him to address the Plans Sub-Committee No. 4 meeting on 30^th May 2013 on behalf of local residents in his ward. The exact terms of his request were set out in the report before the Committee, but in summary Cllr Bosshard wished to continue to represent the views of local residents on this case, which had been going on for two and a half years. The introduction of the concept of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests in July 2012 meant that he was prevented from speaking on the case as he lived next door to the site in question, whereas under the previous standards regime a Councillor with a pecuniary interest could address the meeting so long as they withdrew from the room before other Members began to debate the matter. The Committee considered that this condition was unnecessary in this case and decided that Councillor Bosshard’s application for a dispensation should be granted unconditionally so that he could represent the interests of people living in the area.  

RESOLVED that the application from Councillor Eric Bosshard to be allowed to address the Plans Sub-Committee No. 4 (and any subsequent meetings on the same case) on the application for 51 Marlings Park Avenue, Chislehurst be granted unconditionally.