The Standards Dispensation Sub-Committee of Wiltshire Council is scheduled to consider a request for dispensation from Councillor Brian Dalton. The committee will also determine any other requests for dispensation that may have been received.

Consideration of Dispensation Request

The main item scheduled for discussion is a request for dispensation from Councillor Brian Dalton. This request relates to a disclosable pecuniary interest he holds as a tenant of a council-owned garage, which falls under the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). Under the council's Code of Conduct, individuals with a disclosable pecuniary interest are generally required to leave the room during discussions and voting on matters where that interest is relevant.

The report pack indicates that the Sub-Committee will consider whether to grant Councillor Dalton a dispensation to allow him to remain in the room during discussions concerning the HRA, and potentially to participate in debate, though not to vote. The report outlines the legal framework for granting dispensations under section 33 of the Localism Act 2011¹, which allows a council to grant dispensations if, for example, the number of members prohibited from participating would impede the transaction of business, or if granting the dispensation is in the interests of local residents. Councillor Dalton has requested this dispensation for meetings of the Full Council and the Housing Board. He has previously been granted a dispensation in 2023 for similar reasons, which expired at the end of the council term in May 2025. The Sub-Committee has the option to decline the request, or to grant it for a specified period, not exceeding four years.