District Council meets to consider issue of Lobbying ... again ... Tues 8th April

This is an ongoing debate at the District Council:
Futures Forum: District Council meets to consider issue of Lobbying ... Weds 26th February

It will be considering the question of 'what is lobbying':
Futures Forum: Lobbying: big business and big government in East Devon
Futures Forum: Payments and patronage in East Devon
Futures Forum: "What is lobbying?"... "Openness and transparency is vital."

This coming Tuesday, the Standards Cttee will be considering a long-standing motion on lobbying from Cllr Claire Wright:

Thorny subject of lobbying up for debate at standards committee on Tuesday

Saturday, 05 April 2014 0 Comments by Claire

EDDC’s standards committee will debate my motion on lobbying, this Tuesday, that I lodged at February’s full council.

I proposed that at each planning committee meeting councillors be asked to declare (via an item on the agenda) whether they have been lobbied - either in favour of, or against the application.

The account of the lobbying debate at full council is here. You may remember that there was confusion about what lobbying actually was - 

http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/but_what_is_lobbying_confusion_breaks_out_over_motion_to_encourage_greater

The words of the motion are below….

“Openness and transparency in the planning process is vital. This Council therefore agrees to include an item on the agenda of all Development Management Committee and Planning Inspections Committee meetings, requiring Members of those committees to declare if and who they have been lobbied by, about items on the agenda.” 

The agenda advises councillors that there was not sufficient time to prepare a report on the subject, however a report will be presented to the June standards committee.

It is suggested that councillors “use this opportunity to give their views on what should be included in the report.”

The standards committee meeting starts at 9.30am and will be held on Tuesday (8 April).

The link to the agenda is here - http://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/combined_standards_agenda_080414.pdf 

Thorny subject of lobbying up for debate at standards committee on Tuesday - Claire Wright
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