Council will not allow meeting to be filmed in defiance of government edict

The Council recently allowed the BBC to film Question Time in Rochdale Town Hall but will not allow Wednesday's council meeting at the Town Hall to be filmed

In defiance of a government edict to allow council meetings to be filmed, Rochdale Council has said it will not allow Rochdale Online to film Wednesday's Full Council meeting at Rochdale Town Hall, during which the highly controversial proposals to grant massive pay rises to senior council executives is expected to be rubber stamped.

Following an announcement by Government Minister Eric Pickles, the Department for Communities and Local Government published a document in June 2013 in which it is made categorically clear that councils should allow meetings to be filmed:

'Council meetings are public meetings. Elected representatives and council officers acting in the public sphere should expect to be held to account for their comments and votes in such meetings. The rules require councils to provide reasonable facilities for any member of the public to report on meetings. Councils should thus allow the filming of councillors and officers at meetings that are open to the public.

'The Data Protection Act does not prohibit such overt filming of public meetings. Councils may reasonably ask for the filming to be undertaken in such a way that it is not disruptive or distracting to the good order and conduct of the meeting. As a courtesy, attendees should be informed at the start of the meeting that it is being filmed; we recommend that those wanting to film liaise with council staff before the start of the meeting.'

(Extract - please see downloads below for full document)

Despite already having had many months to read the document a spokesman for Rochdale Council said: "We shall read the recommendations from the Department for Local Government and Communities and then consult the elected members of all political parties for their views before we make any decisions.”

On 15 June, Labour Councillor Liam O'Rourke posted on a social media website: "Really welcome the news that journalists will be able to film council meetings. Will hopefully encourage more spirited debate in the chamber."

And on 15 July followed it up by asking if Rochdale Online "will be filming as per DCLG guidelines?"

The answer Councillor O'Rouke is Rochdale Online would love to do so but are being denied the opportunity to do so by your council.

Rochdale Online Managing Director Pauline Journeaux said: "There can be no conclusion other than that the Council does not want the people of the borough to watch what goes on in the Council chamber on Wednesday.

"There is a huge swell of public anger regarding the pay rises being awarded to senior council officers and the meeting is of great interest to many. It is unlikely the public gallery will hold the numbers wanting to attend, and it is also wrong to deny those who cannot make the meeting the right to watch the debate and the vote.

"This is very wrong of the Council, it appears to be riding roughshod over democracy in defiance of very clear government guidelines."

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