Protocol on Audio/Visual Recording and Photography at Meetings

The Council is committed to being open and transparent in the way it conducts its decision making.  Recording is welcomed at Council and committee and sub-committee meetings which are open to the public.  The Council understands that some members of the public attending its formal meetings may not wish to be recorded.  The Chair of the meeting will facilitate this by ensuring that any such request not to be recorded is respected by those making the recording.

The Council encourages the following as good practice:-

1. Anyone wishing to record is asked, prior to the start of the meeting, to notify the Democratic Services Officer whose details are set out on the Agenda.

2. We ask that the recording must be overt (ie clearly visible to anyone at the meeting) but non-disruptive.

3. All those visually recording a meeting are requested to focus only on recording councillors, officers and those members of the public speaking to the meeting. 

4. Any member of the public has the right not to be recorded.  Agendas for meetings will make it clear that recording can take place.  If any member of the public speaking at the meeting does not wish to be recorded, the Chair will ask them to make this known.

5. Any children or young people clearly under the age of 18 who are present at the meeting are not to be filmed unless their parents/guardians have given their written consent.

6. The Chair of the meeting will ask anyone filming/recording to suspend recording and if needed call for an adjournment of the meeting if, in the Chair’s opinion, continuing to record/film would prejudice proceedings at the meeting or if the person recording is in breach of these rules.  The circumstances in which this might occur include:-

· recording is disrupting the business of the meeting;

· there is public disturbance or a suspension of the meeting;

· the meeting has resolved to exclude the public for reasons which are set down in the Council’s Constitution;

· a member of the public participating in the meeting objects to being recorded.

7.         The recording and reporting on formal public meetings of the Council, its committees and sub-committees is subject to the law and it is the responsibility of those doing the recording and reporting to ensure compliance.  This will include the Human Rights Act, the Data Protection Act and the laws of libel and defamation.  We ask that the recording should not be edited in a way that could lead to misinterpretation or misrepresentation of the proceedings or infringement of the Council's values or in a way that ridicules or shows a lack of respect for those in the recording.  The Council ask that any recording in breach of this be removed from public view.  The Council will have no liability for material published by any other person unless it is itself undertaking the publication through its offices.

Please contact, in advance of the meeting, the Democratic Services Officer whose details are set out on the Agenda if the recording you wish to make involves equipment which is larger than a smart phone, tablet or compact camera or if you have special requirements eg need to move around the room to record or film from different angles.  The use of lighting for filming/flash photography will be allowed but we ask that this is arranged via the Democratic Services Officer prior to the meeting.  The Council requests contact in advance to ensure the meeting runs smoothly and there is a safe environment in which to transact the business.