Agenda and minutes

Venue: Chamber - County Hall, Carmarthen. SA31 1JP. View directions

Contact: Michelle Evans-Thomas  01267 224470

Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Mrs Daphne Evans, Independent Member, and Councillor G.B. Thomas.

2.

DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL INTEREST.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of personal interest.

3.

APPLICATION FOR DISPENSATION BY COUNCILLORS CEFIN CAMPBELL, GARETH THOMAS, JEAN LEWIS, KEN HOWELL, TYSSUL EVANS, MANSEL CHARLES, EIRWYN WILLIAMS, ANN DAVIES AND ARWEL DAVIES pdf icon PDF 155 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered applications submitted by County Councillors Cefin Campbell, Gareth Thomas, Jean Lewis, Ken Howell, Tyssul Evans, Mansel Charles, Eirwyn Williams, Ann Davies and Arwel Davies for the grant of dispensation under the provisions of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations) (Wales) Regulations to speak and make written representations at meetings of Carmarthenshire County Council in respect of any Council business relating to or likely to affect farming and agriculture.

 

It was reported that dispensation was sought by each Councillor in that they could potentially have a personal interest in such business by virtue of paragraphs 10(2)(a)(i), 10(2)(a)(iv), 10(2)(b)(i) and 10(2)(b)9ii) of the Code of Conduct in that they are all either actively engaged in farming in the county, own farm land which is actively farmed by others or have close personal associates who are actively engaged in farming.

 

The members’ interests were also prejudicial as a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard that interest as being so significant that they would be likely to prejudice the Councillors’ judgement of the public interest.

 

The Councillors had accordingly requested that they be granted dispensation on two grounds set out in the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations) (Wales) Regulations 2001 namely:-

 

(1)      The Councillors’ participation in such matters would not damage public           confidence in the conduct of the Council’s business;

(2)      That their participation is justified by their particular expertise.

 

The Legal Services Manager reminded the Committee that Councillors Gareth Thomas and Jean Lewis were previously granted dispensation in respect of these matters in June 2016 until the Local Authority elections in May 2017.

All the above-mentioned Councillors (with the exception of Councillor Campbell) were subsequently granted dispensation in respect of these matters from September 2017 to September 2018.  Councillor Arwel Davies was granted dispensation from December 2017 to September 2018.

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED

 

3.1     that dispensation be granted under Regulations 2(d) and (f) of the           Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations) (Wales)           Regulations to County Councillors Cefin Campbell, Gareth           Thomas, Jean Lewis, Ken Howell, Tyssul Evans, Mansel Charles,           Eirwyn Williams, Ann Davies and Arwel Davies to SPEAK, BUT           NOT VOTE, AND TO MAKE WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS at           meetings of Carmarthenshire County Council in respect of any           Council business relating to or likely to affect farming and           agriculture, until the 31st March, 2019;

3.2     That delegated authority be granted to the Monitoring Officer to           grant any further requests for such a dispensation up to and           including 31st March, 2019.

 

 

 

4.

ANY OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS THAT BY REASON OF SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THE CHAIR DECIDES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A MATTER OF URGENCY PURSUANT TO SECTION 100B(4)(B) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972.

 

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