28 July - Vox Populi Attendance at Community Engagement Meeting

Barnham Parish Council wishes to address some recent online commentary regarding the recording of the 28th July Open Meeting.

Barnham Parish Council fully supports open journalism and the legal right of the press and public to video record our meetings. Transparency is vital for our village. However, there is an important difference between filming a council meeting and filming the residents who come to watch. The media were requested not to film members of the public attending the meeting. They were able to film all councillors, clerk and guest speakers and record the questions asked without filming those asking them.

The regulation covers the meeting, not the audience: Under UK law (the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014), the right to film applies strictly to the proceedings - meaning the discussions and votes of elected Councillors and officers. It does not grant an automatic right to film passive members of the public.

In line with official government guidance and UK GDPR data privacy laws, residents sitting in the public gallery have a right to privacy.

Many people wish to listen to local democracy without having their faces recorded and posted on social media without their consent.

The attendees from Vox Populi were fully permitted to film as indicated above and record (i.e. audio recording) the entire meeting. The request not to film the public gallery was a standard, lawful measure to protect the privacy of the members of the public who attended.

We remain 100% committed to keeping our meetings open, transparent, and safe for all residents.

At all meetings where media, and possibly others, are present who wish to film proceedings, attendees other than those present in an official capacity, will be asked whether they are willing to be filmed. If anyone does not wish to be filmed, they will not be.

In addition, any member of the public who wishes to ask a question or make a statement but does not wish to be recorded is entitled to do so.

This information will be clearly stated at the beginning of all meetings.  

Whilst not obligatory, it would be helpful to all concerned, if anybody wishing to record the meetings would contact the Clerk in advance to ensure a suitable location can be arranged.

Any member of the public who may wish to discuss any concerns is also requested to contact the Clerk as soon as possible.

Thank you.