Councillor Cook stated that as a Council appointed trustee for the Oxford Preservation Trust and as a member of the Oxford Civic Society, he had taken no part in those organisations’ discussions or decision making regarding the applications before the Committee.  He said that he was approaching all of the applications with an open mind, would listen to all the arguments and weigh up all the relevant facts before coming to a decision.

Councillor Abrishami stated that she was employed by the NHS and based at the Warneford Hospital which was adjacent to the application site but that she had no knowledge of, and had taken no part in, any discussions or decision making by her employer regarding the applications before the Committee.  Shee said that she was approaching all of the applications with an open mind, would listen to all the arguments and weigh up all the relevant facts before coming to a decision.