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’.

173a     Declarations of substitutes

173.1    Councillor O’Quinn stated that she was in attendance in substitution for Councillor Hamilton and Councillor Wealls stated that he was in attendance in substitution for Councillor Bennett.

173b     Declarations of interests

173.2    Councillors Barradell, Inkpin-Leissner and Miller confirmed that they had received correspondence from the applicant in relation to applications (A),(B) and (C), BH2015/03108, BH2015/03110, and BH 2015/03112, St Aubyn’s School, 76 High Street, Rottingdean, Brighton, respectively, requesting that consideration of the applications be deferred. All three councillors confirmed that they had not responded on the matter, remained of a neutral mind and would remain present at the meeting during consideration and determination of the application.

173.4    Councillor Gilbey referred to application(D), BH2015/04564, Mile Oak Inn, Mile Oak Road, Portslade stating that although the licensee of the public house was known to her that she remained of a neutral mind in respect of the application and therefore intended to remain present at the meeting during its consideration. Councillor Gilbey confirmed that she had visited the premises accompanied by her fellow ward councillor and that at that time she had not expressed any opinion in respect of this application. On becoming aware of the intended occupant of the retail unit (The Co-operative Food) Councillor Gilbey stated that she was also a Member of the Co-Operative Group. It was noted that this was a separate entity from the store group applying for use of the retail outlet element of the scheme. Councillor Gilbey confirmed that she remained of a neutral mind in respect of that element of the scheme too.

173.5    Councillors Barradell, Inkpin-Leissner and Morris confirmed that they were Members of the Labour and Co-operative party on realising that the retail outlet element in respect of application (D), BH2015/04564, Mile Oak Inn, Mile Oak Road Portslade was to be occupied by a Co-operative food store and that they were also members of the Co-op. It was confirmed that this was a separate entity from the store group applying for use of this retail store and all three members confirmed that they remained of a neutral mind and would therefore remain present at the meeting during consideration of the application.

173.6    Councillor Littman referred to application (D), BH2015/04564, Mile Oak Inn, Mile Oak Road Portslade confirming that he was also a member of the Co-operative society and that  this was a separate entity from the store group applying for use of this retail store. He confirmed that he remained of a neutral and would therefore remain present at the meeting during consideration of the application.

173c     Exclusion of the press and public

173.6    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.

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

173d     Use of mobile phones and tablets

173.8    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’.