Do parish councillors have the right not to be filmed at a public meeting?

Question

Several of our parish councillors, the vice chair and the clerk have decided they don't want to be filmed for possible security reasons.

The fact that all of their details (including photos) are available on the Parish website and some details are available online seems to contradict their reluctance to be filmed,

This policy that they've adopted seems to go against all government legislation regarding the recording of public meetings.

What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

They can’t prevent anyone filming them, if they don’t like being filmed they should resign rather than try to avoid someone lawfully filming them

Answer 2

They have chosen to take a role in PUBLIC office. Part of fulfilling that PUBLIC role is to attend council meetings which take place in PUBLIC.

If they live in the parish, which most will, their name and address should be on their register of interests which should be freely available on the parish website. Can't see how a video of them somehow affects their security. If anything it increases their security as should someone attack them at the meeting their will be evidence available. If they really do not want to be seen in PUBLIC then perhaps you can suggest that they wear a balaclava to meetings.

Comments

Allegedly, one was former flying squad, and something to do with the Balkan war crimes trial, yet they've written a book and been in the local paper. They can also be found via Google complete with former addresses.
What has happened, is that in solidarity and not to be recorded actually speaking, 4 other councillors including the vice chair have said that they don't want their image on video either.
The public all know, it's just a smoke screen and the council are attempting to exercise full control over every aspect of council life.

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Have you checked their registers of interests as they might have taken the same cavalier approach to them

Answer 3

Doesn’t matter what those Cllrs / clerk ‘want or don’t want.’  Audio and video recording an open public council meeting is an entirely lawful activity which must be facilitated by a council.
If they don’t want to be filmed they can leave.

Comments

Addresses are available via the District Council website, but all addresses on the Parish council website have been removed and replaced by the Parish Clerk's

Answer 4

One Parish Council sets up filming of their meetings and publish same on youtube and yet another Council does not like themselves being filmed. As a previous answer, a Councillor is not forced to be a Cllr. If they have done their homework they would appreciate all that it entails. They stand for election or co-opted of their own free will. One point already made is that in the register of interests  their address is public as should be their notifiable interests. I have noticed this is not  always the case. Example - no address given, although lives in the Parish. Possibly a lack of understanding the form. Transparency seems to be lacking.

Comments

Thanks.
We've now established the legislation is not on their side, so a complaint has now been lodged with the District councils Monitoring officer ad we await their response. We will continue to film all councillors irrespective of the protestations

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Complaint will be a waste of time.

Just carry on doing what you are doing and exercise your lawful right to audio / video record unobstructed at council meetings.

The council has a duty to facilitate the taking of records - including audio / video - so there is no mechanism they can use to prevent.

They may claim it is disruptive so give them no cause to claim this.

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We will continue to video record whatever, although I disagree with your comment regarding the complaint. Several complaints have been made over the last 12months to the monitoring officer about the council and certain councillors and they have made recommendations that like it or not, have had to be put in place.

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Understood...  My comment about a complaint being a waste of time was based upon my own experience when the clerk, the chair and certain individual Cllrs debated and ultimately passed a motion that filming was not to be permitted.  It has taken some years and a wholly unnecessarily  tortuous journey but that very same PC (with many of the very same characters) now livestream their own meetings - I'll take that as a mark of success despite the journey to get there!

Of course I ignored that motion and continued filming taking care not to give rise to any disruption.
The meeting was abandoned on the basis that filming was 'disturbing' the business of the meeting because Cllrs couldn't concentrate.

I submitted a complaint about the misinformation in relation to filming provided to the debate by 1 Cllr and included the chair and vice chair in the complaint since they proposed and seconded the motion which was passed by PC.

The complaint was rejected by the MO on the basis that it was a decision of the PC not any individual Cllr to disallow video recording.

I maintain that the complaints process is a sham and, by definition a waste of time, but could perhaps agree that circumstances may be different (and more fruitful) in your situation but be careful to ensure the format and content of the complaint is not against the action of the PC (where MO has no power to intervene) but rather it is specifically targeted to the clearly defined actions of individual Cllrs.
Best of luck...

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Guys.
For the footage of the farce that is Fairlight Parish Council meetings, please take a look at Youtube channel "Fairlight matters".
It makes compelling view, although you will have to excuse the delay at around 24mins until 50mins whilst the police were in attendance.  The Police advised the council that the public have every right to film the meeting and the councillors attending. Despite the clarification of UK legislation by the police,, the screens remained in place after the police departed. HAPPY VIEWING

Answer 5

The public has a right to film the councillors in council meetings. The councillors have no right to not be filmed.