ALMOST two-thirds of the north's councillors are failing to publicly declare property and business interests, an Irish News investigation reveals.

Hundreds of councillors have not declared any land or property, including their own homes, while many more gave vague or incomplete disclosures.

And dozens have not disclosed their involvement in registered businesses, a detailed analysis of hundreds of council and company records shows.

Each representative is required to complete 'declaration of interest' forms and submit them to their council.

The documents are intended to help ensure elected councillors are not making decisions for their own personal or financial benefit.

But the analysis suggests widespread issues with the process of declaring personal interests.

The problems emerge a year after councillors were handed control of planning powers as part of a shake-up of local government.

Colm Bradley, director of planning advice service Community Places, expressed concern over the "non-disclosure of very basic financial details".

"These revelations are shocking and very disappointing," he said.

"Like everyone else Community Places has been told repeatedly that safeguards are in place in local councils to ensure fairness for all."

He added that if private interests are not being properly disclosed then councils risked losing public confidence.

"The work of many good people in local government will be undermined," he said.

"Trust is the cornerstone of local democracy and these revelations will lead to calls on the Department of the Environment and its minister to exercise their oversight role without fear or favour."

The Irish News examined more than 370 declaration forms across nine of the north's 11 new councils after asking for copies of the documents in December under Freedom of Information laws.

Three councils – Belfast, Lisburn City and Castlereagh, and Ards and North Down – declined to provide copies, saying they were only available for inspection at their offices.

As the largest local authority, Belfast City Council was added to the analysis.

We compared the land and property interests declared by councillors with the home addresses they gave to the Electoral Office as candidates in 2014.

Around 230 councillors did not declare any land or property interests despite being able to give a home address to the Electoral Office.

Of around 150 that did write something in the property section of the form, many gave vague answers that did not detail their interests.

The analysis also checked councillors' disclosures of their business interests against information in Companies House.

More than 100 councillors were found to have not declared their directorships of some companies.

Under the councillors' code of conduct, they are required to disclose any land in which they have a beneficial interest that is within the council district.

This can include land or property they do not own, such as land that they have a licence to occupy for at least 28 days.

They must also detail their business and employment details such as any company for which they are a director, remunerated or non-remunerated.

Councillors also have a duty to regularly update their declaration forms, registering any new interests within 28 days of becoming aware of them.

But the code appears unclear on the level of detail that should be given on the register.

There have been heightened concerns over local governance after an RTÉ investigation last year revealed many southern politicians' not declaring their interests.

Mr Bradley said: "Community Places is currently advising communities across the region on how to object to multi-million-pound development proposals which, if approved, will completely alter townlands and neighbourhoods for this and future generations.

"People in these communities have a right to see and know that the only interest every politician has in mind when taking decisions is the public interest."

A DUP spokesman said: "Registration of interests is an important part of openness and transparency for elected representatives. They should ensure their entry is complete and kept up to date.

"The code of conduct for councillors is not sufficiently clear on the registration of a primary residence. The code should reflect the advice given to both MLAs and MPs which explicitly states their personal residence should not be registered.

"For the vast majority of councillors, the directorships they hold are on bodies they are appointed to by council. These provide no financial benefit, but should be declared. Again, it may be beneficial if the advice to councillors was more explicit in this area."

An SDLP spokeswoman said: "Members and supporters of the SDLP have faced significant harassment over the years and as a matter of personal concern, and where appropriate, may choose to not publicly reveal their home or business addresses."

An Alliance spokeswoman said: "Alliance has always led the way in promoting greater openness and transparency and while others have willingly chosen to ignore the rules, our members have consistently supplied all information when asked of them by council staff."

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How some councillors answered their declaration of interest forms:

:: Declan Boyle

The SDLP councillor in Belfast rents out dozens of student properties that earn hundreds of thousands of pounds annually – but has failed to detail them.

In the declaration form section on property interests, Mr Boyle simply wrote: "Various properties in Belfast."

Mr Boyle is a landlord managing rental properties in the Holylands student area, as well as several more in other parts of south Belfast.

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

It is estimated that the properties generate more than a quarter of a million pounds in rental income every year.

At least seven are not registered with the Landlord Registration Scheme, while one is not registered with the Housing Executive as a House of Multiple Occupancy.

When asked how many properties he owns and why he hasn't fully declared them, Mr Boyle said last Friday: "Can I come back to you on this? I'm in a meeting."

:: Phelim Gildernew

The Sinn Féin councillor, the father of former MP Michelle Gildernew, sits on the planning committee of the new Mid Ulster council.

When asked to give details of his land and property interests he simply wrote "Yes" on his declaration form.

The representative for the Clogher Valley area, a former mayor of the old Dungannon council, said on his form submitted in 2014 that he works as a farmer.

He did not update his declarations after becoming a director of two companies in 2015, the Irish Central Border Area Network (Icban) and Flavour of Tyrone.

:: Sam Hanna

The DUP Mid and East Antrim councillor explains in his declaration form his interest in a party office at the centre of an expenses controversy.

The DUP advice centre in Ballymena holds the record for the most rent ever claimed for a constituency office.

Ian Paisley and his son Ian Paisley Jnr claimed a total of £57,000 for the building for two years in a row.

In 2013 MLAs David McIlveen and Paul Frew claimed £20,504 for the same office, while Mr Paisley jnr claimed £14,095 for it from Westminster expenses.

This rent has been paid to a business called Ballymena Advice Centre Ltd, whose sole shareholder is Mr Hanna.

When asked about the matter some years ago he said: "I haven't a clue, I know flip all about it... I'm only the landlord."

In his declaration form the chicken farmer said he is "director and sole shareholder" of the Ballymena Advice Centre.

He wrote: "This is a business to provide a community advice centre in the town of Ballymena for the benefit of the DUP and its elected representatives. I take no salary for my landlord."

The councillor also does not declare details of his land ownership, instead only writing "1.5 hectares".

Rental expenses claimed by MLAs for the constituency office may be restricted in future under the latest determination by the Independent Financial Review Panel.

:: Chris McGimpsey

The Ulster Unionist councillor in Belfast holds the dubious record for the most undeclared directorships in businesses of any Northern Ireland councillor.

Mr McGimpsey holds positions in eight different companies registered with Companies House that were not disclosed on his declarations form.

The undeclared companies include a property firm, the Greater Shankill Partnership Property Development Company.

Mr McGimpsey, whose brother is former UUP health minister Michael McGimpsey, only submitted his declarations form within the last month.

According to a council official around half of elected representatives on Belfast City Council had not submitted their forms by early January.

Under the councillors' code of conduct, they are required to register interests within 28 days of being elected or being appointed to office if later.

In his submitted form, Mr McGimpsey declares his interest in a substantial property portfolio comprising of 147-154 Sandy Row, 179-181 Crumlin Road and seven properties on Shankill Road.

:: Unsubmitted forms

Three people had still not submitted their declaration of interest forms last week according to council details.

They were Sinn Féin's Elisha McCallion, the current mayor of Derry council, party colleague in Derry Patricia Logue, and Belfast independent unionist Ruth Patterson.