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.

a)           Declarations of substitutes

50.1       Councillor Winder substituted for Councillor Pumm.

b)           Declarations of interests

50.2    Councillor Fishleigh stated that they were not of an open mind on item B: BH2023/00830 and would not take part in the discussions or decision-making process. Councillor Theobald stated they had received emails regarding items A: BH2022/02492 and D: BH2023/01799, however they remained of an open mind. Councillor Cattell stated they know the agent for item A, however, they remained of an open mind. Councillor Loughran stated they had been lobbied by residents on items A and D, however they remained of an open mind. The Legal officer, Katie Kam stated they knew – one of the objectors for item D but had played no part in the application process.

c)           Exclusion of the press and public

50.3       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.

50.4       RESOLVED: That the public are not excluded from any item of business on the agenda.

d)           Use of mobile phones and tablets

50.5       The Chair reminded Committee Members ensure that their mobile phones should not be used as a means of communication during the meeting and if members need to make or receive a message via their phone, please alert me as Chair. Where Members were using tablets to access agenda papers electronically, they should ensure that they are switched to ‘aeroplane mode’.