Issue - meetings

If a Councillor has any prejudicial or personal interest in a particular report he/she should declare the existence and nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of the item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a prejudicial interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter. The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken, unless a dispensation has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

Where members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance, then the Councillor with a prejudicial interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration, unless the disability has been removed by the Standards Committee.

Councillor Mark Loveday declared a prejudicial interest in item 12 (Ravenscourt Park Station Access) as jointly owning a property affected by the proposed scheme.  He left the meeting during the discussion and did not vote on the item.

Councillor Michael Cartwright declared a prejudicial interest in item 17.4  (Appointment of Council representatives to St Paul’s Court Ltd) as a shareholder in St Paul’s Court Ltd.  The item was noted by Cabinet without discussion.  He stayed during the item as it was not voted on.  The decision had already been taken by the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services on 13 January 2010.