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 register is maintained under section 81(1) of the Local Government Act 2000 and refers to those personal interests which fall within a category mentioned in paragraph 8(1)(a) of the Code of Conduct, namely:
- any employment or business carried on by the member;
- the name of the person who employs or has appointed the member, the name of any firm in which the member is a partner, and the name of any company for which the member is a remunerated director;
- the name of any person, other than a relevant authority, who has made a payment to the member in respect of his/her election or any expenses incurred by him/her in carrying out his/her duties;
- the name of any corporate body which has a place of business or land in the Council's area, and in which the member has a beneficial interest in a class of securities of that body that exceeds the nominal value of £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body;
- a description of any contract for goods, services or works made between the Council and the member or a firm in which the member is a partner, a company of which the member is a remunerated director, or a body of the description specified in sub-paragraph 14.4 above;
- the address or other description (sufficient to identify the location) of any land in which the member has a beneficial interest and which is in the area of the Council;
- the address or other description (sufficient to identify the location) of any land where the landlord is the Council and the tenant is a firm in which the member is a partner, a company of which the member is a remunerated director, or a body of the description specified in sub-paragraph 14.4 above; and the address or other description (sufficient to identify the location) of any land in the Council's area in which the member has a licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy for 28 days or longer;
- membership of or position of general control or management in any body to which the member has been appointed or nominated by the Council as its representative;
- any body of which the member is a member of or in a position of general control or management
- exercising functions of a public nature;
- directed to charitable purposes;
- one of whose principal purposes include the influence of public opinion or policy (including any political party or trade union).
Completion of the register
You must submit a registration of members’ interests form within 28 days of the Code of Conduct being adopted by your authority or your election or appointment to office (where that is later).
Please print off, complete and sign the Register of Interests form. Return the completed form to your town, parish or city clerk who will then forward it to Wiltshire Council’s Monitoring Officer for signature and retention. Your clerk should post the form to the Governance Support Officer, Wiltshire Council, Governance Services, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN.
Registration of gifts and hospitality
Additionally, you must within 28 days of receiving any gift or hospitality over the value of £25, provide written notification to Wiltshire Council's Monitoring Officer of the existence and nature of that gift or hospitality. The notification should be posted to the Governance Support Officer, Wiltshire Council, Governance Services, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN. The form for notifying of any gift or hospitality over £25 can be accessed by following this link Gifts and Hospitality Form.
Change of circumstances
You are also required to notify any change in your registration of interests within 28 days of becoming aware of the change or any new personal interest. If you wish to make any changes to your registration of interests, or subsequent notice of revision, please complete the Notice of revision form and return it to your clerk who will then forward it to Wiltshire Council’s Monitoring Officer for signature and retention.
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. Please use the attached form for this purpose. Confirmation of Information Previously Given Form. This should be returned as detailed above.
Availability of the register of interests
Completed registers of interests are public documents which Wiltshire Council is required to make available to members of the public upon request.
