Town and Parish Councillors' Declaration of Interests

Register of Interests

All Members of Town and Parish Councils must register their personal interests in Wiltshire Council’s Register of Interest and Gifts and Hospitality. The Localism Act 2011 prescribes that every Parish Council must adopt a code of conduct and are required to include on their register the following disclosable pecuniary interests

• Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain
• Any payment or provision of any other financial benefit (other than from the relevant authority) made or provided within the relevant period in respect of any expenses incurred by a member of a relevant authority in carrying out duties as a member, or towards the election expenses of member of a relevant authority. This includes any payment or financial benefit from a trade union within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992(3)
• Any contract which is made between the relevant person (or a body in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest) and the relevant authority (a)under which goods or services are to be provided or works are to be executed; and (b) which has not been fully dischargeds;
• Any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the relevant authority.
• Any licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy land in the area of the relevant authority for a month or longer.
• Any tenancy where (to a member of a relevant authority’s knowledge) (a) the landlord is the relevant authority; and (b) the tenant is a body in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest.
• Any beneficial interest in securities of a body where (a) that body (to a member of a relevant authority’s knowledge) has a place of business or land in the area of the relevant authority; and (b) either (i) the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body; or (ii) if the share capital of that body is of more than one class, the total nominal value of the shares of any one class in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest exceeds one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class.

Completion and Update of Register of Interests

By law you must complete a register of interest within 28 days of a Code of Conduct being adopted by your authority, or from your election or appointment to office.

Please access the Register of Interests Webportal form in order to submit the details of your register. If you are unable to access the system please speak to your clerk, who may be able to upload the details for you, or contact governance@wiltshire.gov.uk for assistance on your behalf.

You are also required to update your register within 28 days of becoming aware of any change or new disclosable interest. You should access the portal above to make amendments to your current register.

Even if your circumstances have not changed, it is good practice to review your register of interests form on a regular basis (we suggest annually) to confirm that the information remains correct.

Completed registers of interests are public documents which Wiltshire Council is required to make available to members of the public upon request.

Registration of gifts and hospitality

Some Codes of Conduct require registration of gifts or hospitality you have received within 28 days of its receipt. Others also require registration of gifts or hospitality which has been offered, even if you have not accepted it. For example, the Wiltshire Council Code of Conduct requires Members to register any gift or hospitality received with an estimated value of at least £50, and also the registration of any significant gift or hospitality offered but not accepted.

If your Code requires such registration you should access the Register of Interests Webportal form and include details of the gift or hospitality under section 8 - Other interests – including details of the gift or hospitality, its estimated value, who offered it to you, and whether you accepted it. Most Codes which include this provision require submission within 28 days.