Agenda item

Mr Alex Hansen has requested to speak to the meeting about Public Declarations, Gifts and Hospitality.

Mr Steve Osgood has requested to speak to the meeting about public realm in Bath’s World Heritage site.

Alex Hansen

Before he made his statement Alex Hansen stated that Councillor Alan Hale had failed to declare hospitality for a dinner on 28^th June 2016.  Councillor Hale explained that this was when he was Chair of Council when he attended many events in his role as Chair.  He had never not declared anything knowingly.  He suggested that for future Chairs of Council a declaration always be made for events for transparency.  The Monitoring Officer said he would check the policies at the time referred to but explained that he could not do anything retrospectively.  The complaint referred to had gone to the Ombudsman as councillors had not appreciated that the value of the university dinner was above the level they should declare.  Since that complaint councillors were aware they needed to be transparent and declare any interests and were doing that.

Alex Hansen made a statement to the Committee for 3 minutes which related to the Code of Conduct, amendments to it, perceived breaches of the Code and the consideration of complaints by the former Monitoring Officer, the former Independent Chair and the Independent Person.  It went on refer to the University of Bath and invitations to dinners there, negotiations following that dinner in respect of Community Asset Land, land owned by the university and land at New Leaf Farm and valuations of the land and reference in the HM Land Registry relating to the parcels of land.

The only question related to Councillor Hale about the event.  This was clarified by Mr Hansen from a Freedom of Information request.

Later in the meeting Councillor Hale confirmed that the date referred to was a Chancellor’s Dinner which he had attended.

Mr Hansen provided his statement to the Democratic Services Officer.

The Monitoring Officer could review the statement and advise accordingly, as necessary, as he had with previous statements from Mr Hansen.  He had submitted a report to the Committee previously, about declaring interests, which had been considered.  He did not intend to advise further as this would only perpetuate this issue and keep raking over events that took place in 2016.

Steve Osgood/Phil Corbett

Steve Osgood/Phil Corbett made a 3 minute statement on behalf of the Friends of the Recreation Ground and drew attention to irregularities in the Council’s position relating to the public realm.  He referred to the use of the Rec, a 1956 conveyance, a lease variation, the charges register, Bath Rugby’s wishes to extend the Rec, the misuse of a community resource and the Rec being a designated flood alleviation area.

The Monitoring Officer stated that the High Court had determined the Council’s application for a declaration on the status of the land as either a corporate asset or a charitable asset.  The High court determined it to be a charitable asset and as a result of subsequent tribunal cases acknowledging the Council’s conflict of interest the asset had been transferred to an independent body of trustees.  Bath Rec Ltd now owned the asset and it was for them to answer questions.

There were no questions.

The statement was provided to the Democratic Services Officer.