Issue - meetings

The Monitoring Officer introduced the report and said that Councillor Coleman considered that he had a personal and prejudicial interest in the planning application as his wife is employed by both the New Forest School and the Nomansland Pre-School and one of his children attends Nomansland Pre-School and two attend New Forest School.  The site of the proposed new school referred to in the planning application is also approximately 120 meters from Councillor Coleman’s residence.

The sub-committee considered the application and agreed that Councillor Coleman did have a personal and prejudicial interest and that the legal requirements for a dispensation were met.  However, having regard to Standards for England advice on dispensations the sub-committee were of the unanimous view that it was inappropriate to grant a dispensation as they felt that to do so might undermine public confidence in local decision-making because of the nature of his interest, which concerned his wife’s financial position.

Resolved

Not to grant a dispensation in relation to Landford Parish Council’s consideration of planning application 10/9523 as Councillor Coleman’s prejudicial interest related to his wife’s financial position and public confidence would be likely to be undermined if a dispensation were to be granted in these circumstances.