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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED that the Standards Committee granted the dispensation on the basis that no fewer than half of the Members of the Council by which the business was to be considered had an interest which related to that business.
None.
Councillor Gordon Hughes declared prejudicial interest in agenda item 4, as he was a member of the Corwen Town Council, and a shareholder in the Owain Glyndwr Hotel.
None.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Standards Committee granted the dispensation on the basis that no fewer than half of the Members of the Council by which the business was to be considered had an interest which related to that business.
The Monitoring Officer (MO) presented the Application Dispensation by Members of Corwen Town Council report (previously circulatred), in relation to the application for a dispensation made by Corwen Town Council. The Monitoring Officer had received an application for dispensation from seven members of Corwen Town Council to actively participate in any items relating to the Owain Glyndŵr Hotel in Corwen which came before the Council. The Monitoring Officer advised that the Standards Committee could issue a dispensation on any of the ten grounds listed within the report attached to each dispensation request; however, the relevant grounds for the request before Members that day were: (a) no fewer than half of the Members of the Council, or of a committee of the Council (as the case may be), by which the business was to be considered had an interest which related to that business; (d) the nature of the Member’s interest was such that their participation in the business to which the interest related would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the Council’s business; and (e) the interest was common to the Member and a significant proportion of the general public. Following the MO’s introduction, the Chair invited Siân Thomas, Corwen Town Clerk, to present information regarding the dispensation request. It was clarified that seven members of Corwen Town Council were shareholders in the Glyndŵr Hotel. There were currently thirteen members of the Town Council, with one vacancy; therefore, if any matters relating to the Glyndŵr Hotel were brought before the Council, discussions could not take place without a dispensation. Councillor Gordon Hughes added that he had been in communication with the Monitoring Officer regarding the dispensation process and the difficulties some members of the Town Council had experienced when completing the forms. He requested that a less complex document be produced to assist with any future dispensation applications. The Head of Corporate Support Service: People / Deputy Monitoring Officer advised that discussions could be held with the City, Town and Community Council Liaison Officer to support city, town, and community councils with dispensation requests in the future. Prior to the Committee determining the dispensation, the Chair invited Members of the Standards Committee to raise any questions for the Town Clerk and the Corwen Town Council member. The following points were noted: • The Committee queried whether the Hotel Manager role, held by one of the applicants, was a paid position. The Town Clerk confirmed that it was; however, the role was in the process of being transferred and, once completed, none of the applicants for dispensation would hold any paid positions at the Glyndŵr Hotel. • Members were informed that a dispensation could be granted for the full term of the Council, which would conclude at the next local elections. • Members were advised by the Town Clerk that the primary reason for the dispensation request related to potential planning matters concerning the Hotel. • The Standards Committee requested additional information about the Hotel and were informed that the building had been refurbished and brought into community use, functioning as a community hub for many events and forming a central part of the town. At this stage, the Chair requested that both the Town Clerk and the Town Councillor for Corwen Town Council leave the meeting to allow the Standards Committee to determine the dispensation. During the closed session, Members discussed the elements of the dispensation and what it would be prudent to include should it be granted. Members agreed that any paid employment, or any business association between the Hotel and any business in which any of the councillors were an employee, partner, or director, should not be included within the dispensation. It was decided that the dispensation be granted on the following terms: The dispensation was granted to the Members named above in respect of any interest relating to shareholdings in the Owain Glyndŵr Hotel, or any involvement in the community association related to the Hotel, excluding any paid employment or any business association between the Hotel and any business in which any of the councillors were an employee, partner, or director. The dispensation applied to any business of the Town Council relating to the Owain Glyndŵr Hotel that did not involve any request for financial assistance from the Town Council to the Hotel. The dispensation was to remain in effect until the date of the next local government elections in May 2027. RESOLVED that the Standards Committee granted the dispensation on the basis that no fewer than half of the Members of the Council by which the business was to be considered had an interest which related to that business.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
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