Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Chair drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure as set out on the agenda.

Apologies were received from Deborah Russell and Keith Betton.

At this point in the meeting declarations of interest are received from Members in any of the agenda items under consideration at the meeting. Members are asked to indicate:

(a) The agenda item number in which they have an interest to declare.

(b) The nature of their interest.

(c) Whether their interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an other interest,  (as defined in Part 2, A and B of the Code of Conduct and Rules for Registration of Interests)

Any Member who needs to clarify any matters relating to the declaration of interests is recommended to seek advice from the Council’s Monitoring Officeror a member of his staff before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest made.

There were no items of urgent business.

There were none.

There were none.

These were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Committee considered the Monitoring Officer’s report.  The Monitoring Officer updated the Committee on the latest position and responded to a couple of queries from Members.

It was then RESOLVED to note the report on the assessment of complaints.

The Monitoring Officer introduced the workplan.  The Committee noted the amendment needed to the November 2018 date*, and the addition of the Annual report on LGO complaints for September 2018.

It was then RESOLVED to note the report.

[*Following the Committee, the date was checked and confirmed to be 22^nd November 2018.]

The Monitoring Officer introduced the LGO Annual report and annual review letter.  She explained the slight difference in figures arising from cases being carried over from the previous year.  She commented that although there were no obvious trends or areas of particular concern, the Council was taking steps to increase the number of local resolutions. She suggested that, next year, the Committee should consider as well the total number of complaints received by the Council, most of which were resolved successfully.  She concluded by reassuring the Committee that all of the actions agreed to be done by the Council with the LGO had been carried out.

It was then RESOLVED to note the Local Government Ombudsman Annual Review and the determinations made by the Ombudsman.

The Committee is asked to consider passing the following resolution:

“that having been satisfied that the public interest would be better served by not disclosing relevant information, in accordance with the provisions of Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business and the reporting of the meeting be prevented under Section 100A(5A) because of the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended.

The Committee RESOLVED that having been satisfied that the public interest would be better served by not disclosing relevant information, in accordance with the provisions of Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business and the reporting of the meeting be prevented under Section 100A(5A) because of the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended.

Following careful consideration of all the facts in the Investigating Officer’s report, and the representations from relevant parties made at the meeting, the Committee

RESOLVED that there had been a breach of the previous and the current Bath & North East Somerset Codes of Conduct on 2 counts, as set out below;

1.  Councillor Pritchard did not disclose to the Development Management Committee (“DMC”) when he made representations to it in 2011, that he had a prejudicial interest in the planning application under consideration; namely, that he owned the property which was the subject of the planning application;

2.  Between 30 April 2010 and 25 May 2015, Councillor Pritchard failed to list his ownership of the property on his Register of Member’s Interests.

The Committee then decided on an appropriate sanction and, following careful consideration, further

RESOLVED that Councillor Pritchard be required to make an apology to full Council at the next appropriate meeting.

In bringing the meeting to a close, the Chair thanked the Investigating Officer, Simon Barnes, for his clear report, and the Committee for their careful consideration.