Agenda item

To seek the granting of dispensations to a number of Members of Hyndburn Borough Council and Altham Parish Council to speak and vote on certain issues, as set out in the report.  Copies of the applications signed individually by the Councillors concerned are appended to the report.

The Executive Director (Legal and Democratic Services) submitted a report seeking the granting of dispensations to Hyndburn Councillors Josh Allen, Sara Britcliffe, Andrew Clegg, Marlene Haworth, Michael Miller, Jenny Molineux, Dave Parkins, Bernadette Parkinson and Joyce Plummer for a period of four years to enable them to speak and vote on the following matters (their request forms are attached):-

·         An allowance, payment or indemnity given to Members

·         Ceremonial honours given to Members

·         Setting Council Tax or a precept under the Local Government and Finance Act 1992, as amended from time to time or any su0perseding legislation

·         Setting a local Council Tax reduction scheme for the purposes of the Local Government Finance Act 2012, as amended from time to time or any superseding legislation

·         Setting a local scheme for the payment of business rates, including eligibility for rebates and reductions, for the purposes of the Local Government Finance Act 2012, as amended from time to time and any superseding legislation.

A dispensation had already been granted to the remaining 26 Hyndburn Councillors.

Altham Parish Councillors Thomas Fearon, Anthony Hickson, Christine Lingard, Rennie Pinder and Joseph Threlfall had all applied for dispensations to speak and vote in respect of the setting of a precept under the Local Government and Finance Act 1992 as amended from time to time or any superseding legislation.  The individually signed request forms were appended to the report.

Dispensations to that affect had already been granted to the remaining serving Altham Parish Councillor with one of the seven seats of the Parish Council being vacant. 

Having declared a personal interest in respect of the submitted list of dispensations, Councillor Plummer took no part in the vote on this item.

Resolved                           (1)   That, as requested, dispensations be granted to the above named Members of Hyndburn Borough Council to allow them to speak and vote on the issues set out above, the dispensation to expire after a period of four years or earlier if they ceased to be a Member of the Council; and 

                                (2)   That, as requested, dispensations be granted to the named Altham Parish Councillors, as set out above, to allow them to speak and vote on the setting of a parish precept under the Local Government and Finance Act 1992 as amended from time to time or any superseding legislation.  The dispensation to expire after a period of four years or earlier if they ceased to be a Member of Altham Parish Council.