From discussions with the Forum after a recent planning application, I understand that its conflict-of-interest procedures are currently as follows:

(1) A conflict of interest arises when a committee member’s property is included on the Planning Service’s Notified Neighbour List, or is itself the subject of the application.
(2) A committee member is required to declare a conflict of interest, and to abstain from voting on matters where they have a conflict of interest.
(3) Any conflict-of-interest declarations are recorded in the minutes.

I believe these procedures are too weak: the definition of a conflict of interest is too narrow; the restrictions after a conflict-of-interest declaration are too limited; and the procedures do not appear to have been published in full.

If the procedures stay as they are, then they could be abused, or a perception of abuse could arise. If either of these happens, then the Planning Service and the local community could both lose confidence in the Forum. On that basis, I object to the proposed redesignation.

I will gladly withdraw the objection if the Forum’s conflict-of-interest procedures are strengthened as follows:

(1) A conflict of interest arises in the following situations: (a) a committee member’s property is included on the Planning Service’s Notified Neighbour List, or is itself the subject of the application (as at present); (b) a committee member submits a personal letter of support, comment or objection to the Planning Service about an application; or (c) a committee member lobbies in a personal capacity about an application.
(2) A committee member is required to declare a conflict of interest (as at present).
(3) Any conflict-of-interest declarations are recorded in the minutes (as at present).
(4) If a conflict of interest arises, then the committee member should not take part in any of the Forum’s discussions about the application, and should not have private discussions about it with any other committee member.
(5) The Forum and the committee member should both declare the conflict of interest in any letters that they submit to the Planning Service about the application. (During our earlier discussions, the Forum indicated a willingness to include such a declaration in its own submissions.)
(6) The conflict-of-interest procedures should be published in full on the Forum’s website.