Councillors could be on a collision course with a Government minister over filming council meetings.
Calderdale councillors considered guidance published by Eric Pickles, the local government minister, who is pressing local authorities to open up council meetings to residents who want to film them.
But councillors believe their current arrangements are sufficient.
At Kirklees Council, where Cabinet and Full Council meetings are webcast (broadcast live over the internet) and available to watch afterwards, Calderdale has no such facilities.
The council has considered it, but concerns over the acoustics in the town hall and finance means it’s currently unfeasible.
At Calderdale’s governance and business committee the cross-party panel agreed it was a “courtesy” for residents, bloggers and journalists to ask for permission to film.
And they said that while a request would be considered for Cabinet and Full Council meetings, there were concerns about filming other council meetings.
Labour’s Clr Daniel Sutherland said: “Filming isn’t barred and there should be the option to allow it as and when.
“But filming planning would be a disaster. Planning and licensing deal with legal issues and filming is not allowed in courts.
“It’s ambiguous, it includes Council and Cabinet but it doesn’t go further and we need an overall policy.”
Clr Janet Battye, Lib Dem leader, believed it could be useful, saying: “I think filming meetings such as planning would be helpful, I’ve heard from constituents who can’t recall who has said what.
“I think it would help people understand the process more if they can record and watch it back.”
Clr Ann McAllister, a Rastrick Conservative, said: “I think it’s a courtesy to ask for permission.
“We are individuals as much as we are councillors.
“A request should always be considered by those attending and others at the meeting informed.”
Clr Barry Collins, the council’s deputy leader, said: “I agree openness is an important issue. The leader wrote to Eric Pickles asking if council Cabinet was to be filmed would national Cabinet be filmed too. His letter was passed on to someone else and the reply wasn’t terribly helpful.
“The most important thing is for people to hear in council meetings and I look at the people at the back of the town hall and sometimes I’m not sure they can hear.
“The audio is, to me, the most important thing. I think if people make the request then we can decide on it and inform everyone at the meeting that filming will be taking place.”
The councillors agreed to note the guidance but felt the current arrangements were sufficient.
Reporting and blogging on social media are permitted and the debate focused on audio and sound recording.
