The Standards Dispensation Sub-Committee met to consider a request for dispensation from Councillor Philip Whitehead, and agreed to grant it. Councillor Ruth Hopkinson was elected as chair for the meeting.

Councillor Philip Whitehead's Dispensation Request

The sub-committee considered a request for dispensation from Councillor Philip Whitehead, who is a non-executive director of Selwood Housing. The report noted that under section 33 of the Localism Act 2011, the council can grant a dispensation to allow a councillor to participate in discussions and vote on matters where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest. ) in the business concerned. The council's code of conduct requires those with a disclosable pecuniary interest to leave the room during discussion or voting on a matter.

Councillor Whitehead requested a dispensation to remain in the room, speak, and vote as a councillor at full council meetings for three years from October 2025. In his request, included as an appendix to the reports pack, he stated:

I do not see that anything that WC would do would create a Pecuniary Interest. I do receive a modest allowance for my duties with Selwood. The most common possible occurrence is when the Council discusses matters pertaining to other Housing Associations and I make clear to all that Selwood is run in a way that WC should be proud of, putting residents first. (Unlike some of the others) I believe that in doing this I am both protecting Sellwood's good name and Wiltshire Council as if we are criticising organisations we should be precise.

The sub-committee considered the Dispensation Policy and the five reasons why a dispensation should be granted, which are:

• without the dispensation the number of persons prohibited from participating in any particular business would be so great a proportion of the body transacting the business as to impede the transaction of the business;
• without the dispensation the representation of different political groups on the body transacting any particular business would be so upset as to alter the likely outcome of any vote relating to the business;
• granting the dispensation is in the interests of persons living in the authority's area;
• without the dispensation each member of the authority's executive would be prohibited from participating in any particular business to be transacted by the authority's executive; or,
• it is otherwise appropriate to grant a dispensation.

The sub-committee resolved to grant a dispensation to Councillor Philip Whitehead up to October 2028, to remain in the room and participate, but not vote, in respect of matters relating to his disclosable pecuniary interest as a non-executive director of Selwood Housing.