Issue - meetings

To retrospectively report the dispensations granted by the Monitoring Officer for the time period 1 October 2024 to 10 January 2025.

The Monitoring Officer presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The purpose of this item was to report retrospectively on the dispensations granted by the Monitoring Officer for the time period 1 October 2024 to 10 January 2025. During this period a dispensation was granted to all Councillors attending Council on 15 October 2024, to enable all to fully and freely participate in the debate on the agenda item relating to the Community Governance Review. The dispensation was granted as many BCP Councillors were Charter Trustees and/or Members of existing Town and Parish Councils. In respect of this dispensation, the Monitoring Officer did take the opportunity to seek the views of the Members of the Standards Committee on 8 October 2024, who also supported the granting of this dispensation.

The Monitoring Officer was asked whether she would include any cases where dispensations were not granted in her reports to Standards Committee. She explained the process she was required to follow in considering all requests for dispensations in accordance with the Localism Act. She confirmed that she would report on those cases where a request was refused, in the interests of transparency and as part of the ethical governance framework.

RESOLVED that the Standards Committee notes the dispensations granted by the Monitoring Officer for the time period 1 October 2024 to 10 January 2025

Voting: Nem.Con