Opposition councillors force transparency move

Last week's full council meeting saw the Conservatives voting for more transparency of council meetings, following a motion tabled by Cllr William Lloyd and seconded by Lib Dem Cllr Karen Chilvers.

Despite the call for councils to be more transparent, the front of the council agendas banned the press and public from recording, photographing and transmitting from council meetings, effectively meaning that the only public recording would be held by the council and, as happened in February this year, able to be supressed or removed at the decision of the managing director.

Now, following the opposition move, this rule will be removed from council agendas and recording of meetings will be allowed.

Cllr Chilvers said:

"It was a real victory for democracy when the Tories didn't argue and accepted our motion, even going further by making it part of the constitution.

"In a year when a webcast has been removed from public view and I had to resort to putting it on YouTube and opposition councillors are being blocked from speaking it is good to see that common sense prevailed for once."