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Agenda item

Declarations of Interest

Meeting of Budget Meeting, Council, Thursday 26 February 2026 5.30 pm (Item 1.)

To remind Members of the need to record the existence and nature of any personal, disclosable pecuniary or other registrable interests in items on the agenda, in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

The Monitoring Officer and Executive Director for Resources advised that all Members had completed an application for a Grant of a Dispensation in relation to any beneficial interest in land within the Authority’s area. The dispensation was granted to allow all Members to speak and vote on the budget items.

A number of personal interests had been declared in advance of the meeting in relation to the agenda items, they had been published on the website and were on display on the door of the Council Chamber. These interests, as well as those declared during the meeting, were as follows:

Councillor	Description
Amirtharaj, Anthony	Foundation Governor at St Joseph’s Primary School Speen Parish Councillor Children attend Trinity Secondary School, and St Joseph’s Primary School.
Barnett, Phil	A Member of Newbury Town Council A Member of Greenham Parish Council On the Executive of Berkshire Association of Local Councils (BALC)
Benneyworth, Dennis	A Member of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority
Codling, Heather	Cold Ash Parish Councillor Hermitage Parish Councillor
Colston, Martin	Committee member of Newbury Velo On organising steering team for the Newbury Festival of Cycling, June 2025
Cottam, Jeremy	Thatcham Town Councillor
Cottingham, Iain	Thatcham Town Councillor Chair of Thatcham Town Cricket Club Ex Senior Captain Donnington Grove Golf Club and member
Coyle, Laura	Contributes to Farepayer scheme for Home to School Transport
Culver, Carolyne	Member, Summit Education Trust
Dick, Paul	Trustee of the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire
Drummond, Billy	Grenham Parish Councillor Newbury Town Councillor A Member of the Royal Berks Fire Authority, A Foundation Governor and Trustee of St Bartholomew’s School A Director of Greenham Business Park Member of the Board of the Greenham Commoners Commission
Gaines, Denise	A member of South East Employers A representative on the Hungerford leisure centre committee.
Gourley, Stuart	Speen Parish Councillor Children attend school in the District
Jeffery, Owen	Thatcham Town Councillor A Member of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority. In receipt of Royal County of Berkshire pension.
Langford, Jane	Purley Parish Councillor District Council Ward Member for Tilehurst and Purley
Macro, Alan	A Member of BBOWT As a householder in Theale, I will have to pay the Theale Special Expense.
Marsh, David	Newbury Town Councillor and Chair of the Grants Sub-Committee Trustee of Friends of Wash Common Library Trustee of Wash Common Community Association
McCann, Tom	Chairman of Thatcham Memorial Foundation
Nigel Foot	Newbury Town Councillor Member of Newbury Town Council Heritage Working Group West Berkshire Heritage Champion Member of the Newbury Society Member of the West Berkshire Heritage Forum Trustee of the St Bartholomew School Foundation
Oloko, Biyi	Ambassador International Trade for the Institute of Directors (Surrey & Berkshire) Past President Thames Valley Society of Chartered Accountants Treasurer/Trustee Commonwealth Pharmacists Association Member, Calcot Park, Golf Club Co-Founder Reading Tech Cluster
Pattenden, Erik	Family member is employed by West Berkshire Council (at St Johns and St Nicolas Schools)
Pemberton, Justin	Thatcham Town Councillor Cold Ash Parish Councillor A Member of the National Union of Professional Foster Carers (NUPFC)
Poole, Vicky	Children attend schools in the district Member of the National Trust Children attend Scouts in the district
Sturgess, Louise	Child attends school in the district
Stewart, Joanne	Employed by the Royal Berks Charity, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust Partner of Cllr Richard Somner who is employed by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust Tilehurst Parish Councillor (Vice-Chair) Greenfield Resource Centre is within her Ward
Steevenson, Stephanie	Thatcham Town Councillor Membership and Ambassador for Royal Berkshire Guiding Association Membership The Royal British Legion Committee Member Thatcham Volunteer Bureau Committee Member The Learning Disability Partnership Board Retired Berkshire Teaching member of the Teachers’ Pension Fund
Somner, Richard	Holybrook Parish Councillor Employed by The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust Partner employed by Royal Berks Charity (part of Royal Berkshire NHS FT) Member of BBOWT Commissioner/Provider relationship between WBDC and RBFT for Sexual Health services
Read, Chris	I have the following interest in the district: Property owned: Tiverton House, The Slade, Bucklebury and 17 Riverdale Court, London Road, Newbury I am a commons rights holder on Bucklebury Common and also secretary of Bucklebury Common Interest Group I am a director of Lambourne Court Management Company Limited Employee of DS Smith Member of the Local Access Forum Spouse is a manager of Beenham Preschool and co-owner of Tiverton House, The Slade, Bucklebury and 17 Riverdale Court, London Road, Newbury and is a commons rights holder on Bucklebury Common
Taylor, Clive	Tilehurst Parish Councillor Chairman of Tilehurst Parish Council School governor of the Calcot Schools (a West Berks local authority school) Registered volunteer with Berkshire Youth (who I believe may receive payment for services from West Berks Council)
Vickers, Tony	Newbury Town Councillor Vice-Chair of North Wessex Downs AONB
Woollaston, Howard	Vice-Chairman of the Lambourn Valley Flood Forum (voluntary position) Chairman of the Newbury Conservative Association

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