Personal and business relationships
Members and Officers must work together closely to effectively undertake the Authority’s work. This inevitably leads to a degree of familiarity. However, close personal relationships between individual Members and Officers can be damaging to mutual respect.
It is important not to allow any personal or business connection or relationship with any other Members or Officer to affect the performance of official responsibilities, taking action or making decisions. It is also important in these circumstances to be wary of passing confidential information to anyone who should not have access to it.
Members and Officers should always consider how any relationship or connection could be interpreted by anyone outside the Authority, or by any other Member or Officer, and avoid creating any impression of unfairness or favouritism.
Members should take account of any relationship or connection they have with any other Member or Officer when considering whether or not they need to register or declare a personal interest.
It would usually be inappropriate for a Member to have special responsibilities in an area of activity in which someone with whom s/he has a close personal or business relationship is a senior officer. If this situation arises, the Member should take appropriate action to avoid a potential conflict of interest.