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SDLP's Declan Boyle fails to declare interest in £80,000 Holylands grant

The SDLP's Declan Boyle clearing up in the Holyland area after St Patrick's Day. Picture by Mal McCann
The SDLP's Declan Boyle clearing up in the Holyland area after St Patrick's Day. Picture by Mal McCann The SDLP's Declan Boyle clearing up in the Holyland area after St Patrick's Day. Picture by Mal McCann

AN SDLP Belfast councillor who has dozens of Holyland rental properties chaired the committee which approved an £80,000 grant for the student area without declaring an interest.

Declan Boyle is a landlord managing more than 30 student lets in the Holyland area that earn hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

Last week he defended not declaring to the council details of the properties, telling The Irish News: "It's none of your business."

However, it has since emerged that Mr Boyle did not declare an interest when a council committee he chairs approved £80,000 of funding for a Holyland improvement scheme.

Holyland resident Brid Ruddy, chair of the College Park Avenue Residents' Association, described it as "absolutely shocking" and called for the council to re-allocate the funds.

"Any of these streets getting money, he has a clear and direct interest," she said.

"We have an awful lot of questions and we would like to have those questions answered. If people stand for election they do need to be transparent."

Alliance Belfast councillor Paula Bradshaw, a South Belfast assembly candidate, said: "If councillors are making decisions around the allocation of public money, there should be no question that they might stand to benefit from the spending of that money."

The funding application for the 'Holylands Area Improvement Initiative' was submitted by the University Quarter Business Association.

Its chairperson is Michael McMahon – owner of another Holyland rental property business, M&M Property Services.

He said the funding would be used for tree planting, hanging baskets, recycling initiatives, removing graffiti, new street signs and alley gates. Mr McMahon did not give details of the association's membership.

Mr Boyle is the 'sponsoring member' for the Holyland Area Improvement Initiative.

In October the South Area Working Group, which is made up of councillors including Mr Boyle, recommended that funding should be awarded.

It was then passed to Belfast City Council's Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, which is chaired by Mr Boyle.

In November the committee approved the funding bid in principle subject to the project being assessed.

No declarations of interest were made by councillors during the meeting.

Under the code of conduct, councillors must declare personal interests where they relate to a matter coming before any council meeting, including committees and sub-committees.

They must also repeat their declaration of interest if the matter is raised again for discussion at a later meeting.

When contacted to ask why he had not declared an interest, Mr Boyle said: "You go and get in touch with the press office."

In a statement later issued through the SDLP press office, a spokesman said: "Councillor Boyle did declare an interest when this issue was first discussed at an Area Working Group meeting which took place prior to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting.

"Councillor Boyle is not a member or is any way involved with the University Quarter Business Association."

But the council has refused to release the working group minutes or confirm whether an interest was declared.

More than 30 properties in the Holyland currently have 'to let' signs with contact details for the website rentourproperty.com, which is registered to Mr Boyle.

He also rents out numerous properties in other parts of south Belfast. It is estimated that they generate more than a quarter of a million pounds in rental income every year.

However, on his council 'declarations of interest' form Mr Boyle simply wrote, "Various properties in Belfast".

The issue emerged when an Irish News investigation examined councillors' business records and declarations of interest.

It revealed that nearly two-thirds of councillors have not declared any land or property, while dozens have not disclosed their involvement in registered businesses.

Councillors are required to complete declaration forms to help assure the public that decisions are not being made for their own personal or financial benefit.

However, Mr Boyle has insisted that he will not be giving any further information about his property interests, saying it is not in the "public interest".

Asked last week how many properties he owns, he said: "It is my personal business, it's as simple as that. You will find that in any meetings if there is a conflict of interest I will declare that," he said.

A Belfast City Council spokesman said: "The council confirms that it received an application from the Holyland Area Improvement Initiative. The matter was referred to the South Area Working Group for consideration by Councillor Boyle.

"The South Area Working Group is not a decision-making body and initiatives brought through Area Working Groups are subject to due diligence and full council approval. This proposal has not been adopted by the council at this time."