In some circumstances, a councillor is allowed to take part in council business even if they have a financial interest in it. These are set out in our Register of Dispensations from Section 31(4) of the Localism Act 2011.
The Council’s Constitution sets out a series of standard dispensations in Appendix B to Part 4 – Section 1 – Code of Conduct for Councillors.
Westmorland and Furness Council Constitution
| Councillor | Dispensation | Date granted | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| All current Members of Westmorland and Furness Council | A dispensation to all current Members of Westmorland and Furness Council in respect of any disclosable pecuniary interest arising from Members’, or their partners’, past or present membership of the Cumbria Pension Fund or other pension funds which are partners of the Border to Coasts Pensions Partnership for the purposes of agenda item 11 on the Full Council Meeting, 27 November 2025, meeting agenda. | EXPIRED 27 November 2025 Granted by the Monitoring Officer in accordance with the constitution Part 2 Section 6 paragraph 3.10.21(a) | 27 November 2025 Full Council Meeting |
| All Members and Co-opted Members of the Council. | A dispensation has been granted to all councillors so that they could take part in all meetings on Members’ Allowances (Minute item 4, Annual Council Meeting, 20 April 2023 refers). In accordance with 3.10.21 of the Councils Constitution the Monitoring Officer has the delegated authority to grant dispensations to Councillors or Co-opted members under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011, to allow them, where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest in a matter to be considered at a meeting of the Council, or any of its committees or sub-committees, or the Cabinet or any committee o sub-committee of the Cabinet to participate in any discussion of the matter in which they have the disclosable pecuniary interest at the meeting or to participate in any vote, or further vote, taken on the matter at the meeting; (a) if it is considered that 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. | EXPIRED 20 April 2023 | 4 years (to 20 April 2023) |
| All current Shadow Authority members. | Shadow Authority members have a DPI in relation to the preparation and adoption of a scheme for payment of allowances to members and therefore a dispensation will be provided for all members to the 31st March 2023 for matters relating to the formulation of proposals for the scheme of members’ allowances to be adopted by Westmorland and Furness Council and the preparation and adoption of a scheme for the payment of allowances to its members. | EXPIRED 17 May 2022. Granted by the Monitoring Officer in accordance with the constitution. | To 31 March 2023 |
| All Members of the Westmorland and Furness Shadow Authority. | Due to the uncertainty of whether members who receive allowances from sovereign authorities have a DPI, a dispensation will be provided for all members for matters relating to the sovereign council of which the Shadow Authority member is also an elected member. | EXPIRED 5 July 2022. Granted by the Monitoring Officer in accordance with the constitution. | To 31 March 2023 |