Policies & Procedures – Witham St Hughs Parish Council

Recording of Meetings Policy

Recording of Meetings Policy

Introduction

Witham St Hugh Parish Council is committed to being open and transparent in the way that it conducts its decision making.
The right to record, film and to broadcast meetings of Witham St Hughs Parish Council was established under the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014. This is in addition to the rights of the Press and public to attend such meetings.
No prior permission is required to record a meeting which is open to the public. However, to assist the smooth running of the meeting, recording, including filming, audio recording, taking photographs, blogging, tweeting, and using other social media is permitted at any Parish Council meeting which is open to the public provided that the Chairman of the meeting does not consider that there is disruption to the proceedings of the meeting and subject to the following procedure.

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Procedure

Anyone wishing to record a meeting is requested to let the Chairman of the meeting know prior to, or at the start of, the meeting.

This is a courtesy request only and not a condition of recording.

The recording should be overt (i.e., clearly visible to anyone at the meeting) and must take place from a fixed position in the meeting room approved by the Chairman to reduce disruption to the proceedings.
Anyone visually recording a meeting is requested to only focus on recording Councillors, officers and the public who are directly involved in the conduct of the meeting.
Members of the public seated in the public gallery should not be filmed, photographed, or otherwise identifiable in any recording without their prior consent. Where practicable, reasonable steps may be taken to accommodate those who do not wish to be recorded.
Any children present at the meeting should not be filmed unless they and their parents/guardians have given their consent.
Any request made by the Chairman regarding respecting the public’s right to privacy must be complied with.
Any person wishing to record Council meetings will be responsible for ensuring that any cabling, or electrical equipment they use has been properly tested and installed and adheres to health and safety requirements. The Council will not be held liable for any injuries to the individual or members of the public caused by the recording of its meetings.

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Control of Recording

The Chairman of the meeting has absolute discretion to request that a person stop or suspend recording if, in the Chairman’s opinion, continuing to do so would prejudice proceedings at the meeting because:
recording is disrupting the proceedings of the meeting;
there is public disturbance or a suspension of the meeting;
the meeting has resolved to exclude the public for reasons of confidential business.
Recording must not be accompanied by oral commentary, live narration, questioning, or any other interruption during the meeting.
For these purposes recording equipment must not be left unattended at meetings.
The Council cannot accept liability for any equipment that is lost, stolen or damaged at its public meetings.

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Use of Recordings

The recording should not be edited in any 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.
If the Council resolves to discuss confidential information, and the public are excluded from the meeting, all recording equipment must be removed immediately from the room.
The use of flash photography or additional lighting will not be allowed unless this has been discussed with the Clerk in advance of the meeting and agreement reached on how it can be done without disrupting proceedings.

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Guidance Notes

The Parish Clerk should be contacted prior to the meeting if the recording involves large equipment or special requirements.
Recording and reporting the Council’s meetings is subject to the law and it is the responsibility of those who undertake the recording and reporting to ensure compliance. This will include the Human Rights Act, UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act, the Public Order Act Part III (1986 as amended), the Equality Act 2010, the laws of libel and defamation and any subsequent legislation or regulations.
The Council may itself photograph, film, record or broadcast its meetings and may retain, use or dispose of such material in accordance with its retention and disposal policies.

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Review and Adoption

Reviewed April 2020

Reviewed May 2021

Reviewed April 2023

Reviewed April 2026

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if required by changes in legislation or guidance.