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’.

113a     Declarations of substitutes

113.1    There were none.

113b     Declarations of interests

113.2    Councillor Littman referred to Application (F), BH2014/03742, Hove Business Centre, Fonthill Road, Hove. He had received e mail correspondence in respect of this application but had not expressed an opinion, remained of a neutral mind and would therefore remain present during consideration and voting on this application.

113.3    Councillor Miller referred to Application (C), BH2015/03586, Clarendon House, Conway Court, Ellen House, Livingstone House and Goldstone House, Clarendon Road, Hove stating that although he had attended the meeting of the Housing Committee at which the carrying out of remedial works had been agreed in principle, he had not pre-determined the application before the Planning Committee. He would therefore remain present during consideration and determination of this application.

113.4    Councillor Morris referred to Application (A), BH2015/02443, Units 2-8, The Terraces, Madeira Drive, Brighton and to comments which he had tweeted in response to comments by others. He wished to set this matter into context. The Chair, Councillor Cattell, considered that a lengthy explanation was not required, notwithstanding that it was important to ascertain whether or not Councillor Morris had predetermined the application. The Legal Adviser to the Committee, Hilary Woodward sought confirmation whether Councillor Morris remained of a neutral mind and he confirmed that he did and would therefore remain present during its consideration and would take part in discussion and voting on the application. Cllr Inkpin-Leissner stated that he had attended a Civil Partnership Reception at this location but remained of a neutral mind confirming that he would therefore remain present during its consideration and would take part in discussion and voting on the application. The Chair, Councillor Cattell, explained that she had worked with Ian Coomber, the applicant’s agent in the past confirming however, that she remained of a neutral mind and would therefore remain present during its consideration and would take part in discussion and voting on the application.

113.5    Councillor Bennett referred to Application (G), BH2015/03341, 46 Tongdean Avenue, Hove. As the site was located in her Ward she had received e mail correspondence in respect of it. However, she remained of a neutral mind and would therefore remain present and take part in any discussion and voting thereon.

113c     Exclusion of the press and public

113.6    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 is 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.

113.7    RESOLVED - That the public are not excluded from any item of business on the agenda.

113d     Use of mobile phones and tablets

113.8    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’.