Minutes are inaccurate, corrections are not allowed by clerk or chair - is this acceptable?

Question

There have been inaccuracies for at least 5 months, 3 ordinary cllrs have questioned why they see the clerk making so few notes during PC meetings, the minutes are written 2/3 days after a PC meeting jointly by new chair and clerk, who can be influenced by chair as her role is being reviewed 3 monthly. It may be that the clerk records the PC meeting on her mobile phone and thus has a record of the meeting. Cllrs are on occasion cited in the minutes saying the opposite of what they actually said and when they suggest corrections to minutes, these are ignored. What redress do they have?  Cllrs want their own records and make notes and wish to record PC meetings. Can the chair discourage this? Can a cllr insist that their vote not to approve previous minutes is minuted with their name.

Answer 1

When the Clerk writes the minutes or whether she records the meeting on her phone seems to me to be irrelevant. What matters is whether the minutes are accurate. Indeed this is extremely important since minutes are a legal record.
Presumably you have an item on the agenda of the following meeting: To approve them minutes of the meeting held on [date] as an accurate record? And presumably you, or another Councillor, then proposes an amendment to the minutes? If you are saying that you are in a minority and cannot get your amendment approved, but at the same time the minutes are inaccurate, then you have a problem, but one that will have to be solved within your Parish Council. I know that it is not always easy, but I suggest that the way forward is for you to discuss the matter with the Chairman. Does he/she acknowledge that the minutes are inaccurate? Why is he/she resisting amendments to the minutes?

Members of the public are certainly allowed to record, in both audio and video, Parish council meetings and I assume this right includes Councillors. The recording of votes (i.e. minuting who voted for and against a proposal) should be covered by your standing orders. Normally, if any Councillor asks for a recorded vote, it must be taken.

Comments

Many thanks Old Tom - this is valuable and
should allow us to find a way forward with some private discussion together.