Bersted district councillor did not breach code of conduct

Multiple complaints against Gill Yeates (LDem, Bersted) were heard by Arun District Council’s standards sub-committee on Monday (October 25).

Complaints argued that Ms Yeates should have declared a prejudicial interest or Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (DPI) when discussing a planning application in June last year.

Ms Yeates instead declared a personal interest as she has property nearby to the now-rejected planning proposal for 46 homes in Shripney (Reference: BE/109/19/OUT).

According to the Arun District Council register of interests, Councillor Yeates  is also director of, and 50 per cent shareholder in, Westside Supplies Limited, Shripney Road and owns four properties there.

This was highlighted by Grant Roberts (Con, Arundel and Walberton) during a planning committee meeting in June last year.

During the meeting in 2020, he said:  “I think it’s absolutely outrageous that someone says ‘I have a personal interest because I live in Shripney’ but doesn’t mention that her business property directly overlooks five metres away, she owns four properties on the lane directly opposite.

“While it might be up to the individual to make the decision on whether they want to disclose an interest or not, I think we need to be truthful and more open and transparent.”

At the time, Ms Yeates accused Mr Roberts of ‘trying to bring me into some kind of disrepute here’.

The hearing panel – which consisted of Jamie Bennett (LDem, Rustington West), Sandra Daniells (Arun Ind, Pevensey), Shirley Haywood (Ind, Middleton-on-Sea) and an independent person – concluded that declaring a personal interest was sufficient.

This conclusion was reached as there was no evidence that Ms Yeates stood to benefit financially by deciding on the planning application, regardless of whether a member of the public would see her interests as affecting her judgement.

One complainant said they accepted the panel’s decisions.

The complaint was reviewed in line with the ADC code of conduct for 2017 as this was in force when the event took place.

Police had also investigated accusations of failing to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (DPI) at the time but said there would be ‘no further action’.

The planning decision for the Shripney Road development is now being appealed after it was rejected by nine votes to six and a hearing will take place on November 9.

A further complaint was made regarding Ms Yeates’ membership of The Countryside Charity, formerly known as the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

The complainant argued that this breached the council constitution which reads: “Members should avoid becoming members of local interest groups or organisations whose primary purpose is to lobby or promote or oppose planning proposals.”

But the panel judged that CPRE’s primary purpose ‘did not appear to be to promote or oppose planning applications’ and therefore dismissed the complaint against Ms Yeates.

Ms Yeates said she ‘was not an active member of CPRE’ but has a direct debit set up for membership of the charity.

The panel also found no breach of the code of conduct regarding a complaint that Councillor Yeates had predetermined her decision on a planning application for the Babsham Business Centre (BE/89/19/PL), which has been approved.

Councillor Yeates has been contacted for further comment, but so far has not responded.

More information about complaints against councillors can be found at this link: https://www.arun.gov.uk/complaints-against-councillors