Agenda item - Procedural Business

(a)  Declaration of Substitutes: Where Councillors are unable to attend a meeting, a substitute Member from the same Political Group may attend, speak and vote in their place for that meeting.

(b)  Declarations of Interest or Lobbying

(a)      Disclosable pecuniary interests;

(b)      Any other interests required to be registered under the local code;

(c)      Any other general interest as a result of which a decision on the matter might reasonably be regarded as affecting you or a partner more than a majority of other people or businesses in the ward/s affected by the decision.

In each case, you need to declare

(i)        the item on the agenda the interest relates to;

(ii)      the nature of the interest; and

(iii)     whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest or some other interest.

If unsure, Members should seek advice from the committee lawyer or administrator preferably before the meeting.

      (d)       All Members present to declare any instances of lobbying they have encountered regarding items on the agenda.

(c)  Exclusion of Press and Public: To consider whether, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when any of the following items are under consideration.

NOTE:  Any item appearing in Part 2 of the Agenda states in its heading the category under which the information disclosed in the report is exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the public.

A list and description of the exempt categories is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove Town Halls.

(d)  Use of mobile phones and tablets: Would Members please ensure that their mobile phones are switched off. Where Members are using tablets to access agenda papers electronically please ensure that these are switched to ‘aeroplane mode’.

89a        Declarations of substitutes

89.1       Councillor Allen was present in substitution for Councillor Hamilton, Councillor Robins was present in substitution for Councillor Barradell and Councillor Janio was present in substitution for Councillor C Theobald.

89b       Declarations of interests

89.2       Councillor Bennett referred to Application BH2014/02331, 59 Hill Drive, Hove stating that having submitted a letter of objection (attached to the officer report) she intended to speak in her capacity as a Local Ward Councillor and then to withdraw from the meeting and take no part in the discussion or voting thereon.

89.3       Councillors Miller Janio and Mac Cafferty declared an interest in Application BH2015/02941, Former Whitehawk Library Site, Findon Road/Whitehawk Road, Brighton. Councillor Miller explained that he had attended the Housing Committee meeting at which the principle of the development had been agreed, however he remained of a neutral mind in respect of the application and would therefore remain at the meeting and take part in the discussion and voting thereon. Councillors Janio and Mac Cafferty had attended the Meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee at which funding for a scheme had been agreed, both confirmed however, that they remained of a neutral mind and would therefore remain at the meeting and take part in the discussion and voting thereon.

89.4       Councillor Cattell, the Chair referred to Application BH2015/00914, 17 Marmion Road, Hove explaining that Liam Russell the agent for the scheme was known to her. She had carried out work for clients of his in the past, although not recently; she had no financial or business link with Mr Russell. The Chair confirmed that she was of a neutral mind in respect of the application and she would remain present in the Chair during its discussion and determination.

89c        Exclusion of the press and public

89.5       In accordance with Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (“the Act”), the Planning Committee considered whether the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item of business on the grounds that it was likely in view of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during it, there would be disclosure to them of confidential information as defined in Section 100A (3) of the Act.

89.6       RESOLVED - That the public be not excluded during consideration of any item of business on the agenda.

89d       Use of mobile phones and tablets

89.7       The Chair requested Members ensure that their mobile phones were switched off, and where Members were using tablets to access agenda papers electronically ensure that these were switched to ‘aeroplane mode’.