Impartiality and conflict of interest controls

The request was partially successful.

Dear Gravesham Borough Council,

Under the right given to me under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I request that Gravesham Borough Council provide details of the controls employed by the Council to ensure impartiality in development and planning decisions. Within the general remit of that query, please provide answers to the specific questions below :
1. How has the Council ensured that councillors made public or registered any relationship with any company, agency or other third party involved in the Gravesham Growth Scenarios and Core Strategy and the Local Development Framework (hereinafter the new development planning process)?
2. How has the Council ensured that members of council staff who are, in any way, involved with the new development planning process made public or registered any relationship with any company, agency or other third party involved in the new development planning process?
3. Have any councillors involved in the decisions that have led to the current situation involving the new development planning process registered any such relationship? If so, please provide details of the registrations (the councillor, the company/ies involved and the type of relationship) and what part these individuals have played any part in the process thus far.
4. Have any members of council staff involved in the decisions that have led to the current situation involving the new development planning process registered any such relationship? If so, please provide details of the registrations (the staff name, the company/ies involved and the type of relationship) and what part these individuals have played any part in the process thus far.
5. Has any company, agency or other third party involved with the new development planning process made, promised or discussed any donations, loan, subsidised development or other similar arrangement with:
a. the Council,
b. any councillor or officer of the council, or
c. any staff association, union or other representative body.
If so, please provide details.
6. Do any of the Councillors live within 5 miles of any of the proposed development sites referred to in the new development planning process? If so, please provide details.
7. Do any of the members of council staff in any way involved with the new development planning process live within 5 miles of any of the proposed development sites referred to in the new development planning process? If so please provide details.

Yours faithfully,
Richard Norman

Customer Services, Gravesham Borough Council

Dear Mr Norman

Thank you for your email. This has been passed to our Freedom of Information Officer for their attention. If you have anymore queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely,

Customer Services Section
Gravesham Borough Council
Tel: 01474 33 70 00
email: [Gravesham Borough Council request email]
Gravesham Borough Council - Connecting with the Community

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Freedom, Gravesham Borough Council

Dear Mr Norman

Thank you for your information request of 20 December 2011 requesting information about impartiality and conflict of interest controls. Your request has been allocated the following reference number: FOI1516, to assist us in handling your request, please quote this in any future communications relating to this matter.

Your request has been forwarded to the relevant department(s) and depending on the nature of your request it will be dealt with under one of the following:
1. Freedom of Information Act 2000
2. Environmental Information Regulations 2004 or
3. Data Protection Act 1998

If it is either 1 or 2 you can expect to receive a response within twenty working days and, therefore, the closing date for your request will be 23 January 2012.

However, if you have requested personal information about yourself or on behalf of someone else your request will be dealt with under the Data Protection Act 1998 as a Subject Access Request (SAR). There will be a fee of a minimum of £10 to enable us to respond to this request and the relevant department will contact you with further details and a date by which time you should receive the information.

If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact us at [email address] (do not reply to this email it may not go to a monitored mailbox). Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom
Gravesham Borough Council
Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 1AU.
web: www.gravesham.gov.uk

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Dear Freedom (Gravesham Borough Council),

I note that your response to my request was due today and it has not been forthcoming. I have not received any response whatsoever so can only assume that this request is not receiving an appropriate level of attention.

I am therefore requesting an internal review, please.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Norman

Freedom, Gravesham Borough Council

Dear Mr. Norman,

I refer to your request for an internal review of information request ref. FOI1516, to assist us in handling your request, please quote this reference in any future communications relating to this matter.

Your request has been forwarded to the relevant department handling your request, you can expect to receive a response within twenty working days and, therefore, the closing date for this review will be 21 February 2012.

If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact us at [email address] (do not reply to this email it may not go to a monitored mailbox). Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom
Gravesham Borough Council
Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 1AU.
web: www.gravesham.gov.uk

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Bickerstaff, Sharon, Gravesham Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Norman

Please find attached a response to the above request for information.

Yours sincerely

Sharon Bickerstaff
Senior Technical Assistant
Planning & Regeneration
Gravesham Borough Council
Tel no. 01474 337398
Email:
For appeal related matters: [email address]
For any other matters: [email address]

Gravesham Borough Council - Connecting with the Community
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