I was interested to read Oakham Town Councils response, before the interfering local police
banned me from attending and reporting on their meetings they never objected to me tweeting
There standing orders don't ban recording of meetings they simple state permission must be obtained.
Rutland County Council have never objected to tweeting they have in the past objected to
photography and filming, I understand that is slowly changing and a number of people filmed
the last special meeting,
The problem is Councils like Oakham Town Council are made up mainly of people
who would not want people to see how simple they really are.
The public does get a small taste of that when the turn up for big issues that effect them
and leave thinking they have watched an episode of Spitting Image or worse.
The Tesco Planning application was the best show chaired by the considerably funny
Cllr Lucas
Published on 23/08/2013 10:32 Rutland Times
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has directly named Stamford Town Council in a list of councils opposing an independent press by not allowing journalists to tweet and film at meetings.
Yesterday (Thursday) Mr Pickles warned that freedom of speech and independent journalism were under attack in local government across the county.
In some parts of the country residents have been threatened with arrest for filming and reporting meetings.
Stamford Town Council has twice voted not to allow Mercury reporters to tweet and film from at meetings.
Mercury editor Eileen Green also wrote to each of the town councils in the area requesting permission to tweet and film.
Bourne Town Council, Oakham Town Council and Uppingham Town Council said the Mercury was not allowed to follow Mr Pickles guidelines.
But two Uppingham councillors have been has assigned to look into the pros and cons of the matter and will await guidance from National Association of Local Councils, which is due to publish guidelines later this year, and present the findings to the council in October.
Market Deeping Town Council, South Kesteven District Council, Lincolnshire County Council and Rutland County Council have said the press may tweet and film at meetings.
In June, Mr Pickles published clear guidance to councils asking them to open up to overt filming and social media. This builds on the rights to attend council meetings that were introduced by Margaret Thatcher in 1960, following a Private Members’ Bill in her maiden speech to Parliament.
But since June, some councils are still continuing to oppose the idea.
Mr Pickles said: “A small number of councils are blocking filming because they want to suppress independent reporting, just as some councils are clinging to their town hall Pravdas.
“An independent local press and robust public scrutiny is essential for a healthy local democracy: without the sunlight of transparency, the flowering of localism will wither.
“Heavy-handed councils who call the police to suppress freedom of speech are abusing state powers.”
Mr Pickles will publish new guidance which formally opens up planning appeal hearings to be filmed, tweeted and reported. He laid down a challenge to councils to open up their planning committees and other meetings in return.
As part of the government’s review of planning practice guidance, new guidance by the Planning Inspectorate will make clear the rights of members of the press and public, including bloggers, to report, film and tweet planning appeal hearings.
Ministers hope this will open up the planning process.
Mr Pickles said: “Watching television programmes like Grand Designs, viewers have been baffled as cameras are stopped from filming meetings of the planning committee. Councillors shouldn’t be ashamed or be trying to hide the work they do.
“I am opening up the planning appeals that my department oversees, so the public can see how the planning system works in practice. Councils should match this by opening up their planning meetings and other committees.”
banned me from attending and reporting on their meetings they never objected to me tweeting
There standing orders don't ban recording of meetings they simple state permission must be obtained.
Rutland County Council have never objected to tweeting they have in the past objected to
photography and filming, I understand that is slowly changing and a number of people filmed
the last special meeting,
The problem is Councils like Oakham Town Council are made up mainly of people
who would not want people to see how simple they really are.
The public does get a small taste of that when the turn up for big issues that effect them
and leave thinking they have watched an episode of Spitting Image or worse.
The Tesco Planning application was the best show chaired by the considerably funny
Cllr Lucas
Published on 23/08/2013 10:32 Rutland Times
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has directly named Stamford Town Council in a list of councils opposing an independent press by not allowing journalists to tweet and film at meetings.
Yesterday (Thursday) Mr Pickles warned that freedom of speech and independent journalism were under attack in local government across the county.
In some parts of the country residents have been threatened with arrest for filming and reporting meetings.
Stamford Town Council has twice voted not to allow Mercury reporters to tweet and film from at meetings.
Mercury editor Eileen Green also wrote to each of the town councils in the area requesting permission to tweet and film.
Bourne Town Council, Oakham Town Council and Uppingham Town Council said the Mercury was not allowed to follow Mr Pickles guidelines.
But two Uppingham councillors have been has assigned to look into the pros and cons of the matter and will await guidance from National Association of Local Councils, which is due to publish guidelines later this year, and present the findings to the council in October.
Market Deeping Town Council, South Kesteven District Council, Lincolnshire County Council and Rutland County Council have said the press may tweet and film at meetings.
In June, Mr Pickles published clear guidance to councils asking them to open up to overt filming and social media. This builds on the rights to attend council meetings that were introduced by Margaret Thatcher in 1960, following a Private Members’ Bill in her maiden speech to Parliament.
But since June, some councils are still continuing to oppose the idea.
Mr Pickles said: “A small number of councils are blocking filming because they want to suppress independent reporting, just as some councils are clinging to their town hall Pravdas.
“An independent local press and robust public scrutiny is essential for a healthy local democracy: without the sunlight of transparency, the flowering of localism will wither.
“Heavy-handed councils who call the police to suppress freedom of speech are abusing state powers.”
Mr Pickles will publish new guidance which formally opens up planning appeal hearings to be filmed, tweeted and reported. He laid down a challenge to councils to open up their planning committees and other meetings in return.
As part of the government’s review of planning practice guidance, new guidance by the Planning Inspectorate will make clear the rights of members of the press and public, including bloggers, to report, film and tweet planning appeal hearings.
Ministers hope this will open up the planning process.
Mr Pickles said: “Watching television programmes like Grand Designs, viewers have been baffled as cameras are stopped from filming meetings of the planning committee. Councillors shouldn’t be ashamed or be trying to hide the work they do.
“I am opening up the planning appeals that my department oversees, so the public can see how the planning system works in practice. Councils should match this by opening up their planning meetings and other committees.”
