Report commissioned over filming of council meetings (From Times Series)

Barnet council asks for report on costs of filming council meetings

2:10pm Tuesday 5th April 2011 in Top Stories By Alex Hayes

PLANS to broadcast Barnet Council meetings online will go before all the members of the council after a committee commissioned a report into the project's feasibility.

In recent weeks several bloggers have videoed parts of various meetings at Hendon Town Hall despite a continuing ban on it in the council’s constitution.

The move comes after communities minister Eric Pickles wrote to local authorities asking them to allow blogging and tweeting from meetings.

However, council leader Lynne Hillan told the Times Series only “respectable” media would be allowed to film if a request was made, but later said the council would have a vote on filming of meetings.

On Thursday a meeting of the general functions committee unanimously agreed to pass the decision on to the full council so that all members could vote.

Councillor Robert Rams, a cabinet member who sits on the committee, said: “Everyone agreed it shouldn’t be agreed by just our committee but for all councillors to vote on.

“We now have to look at the cost of putting in the equipment and webcasting meetings, but that will all come in the report.

“I’m very much for webcasting meetings, I think it opens up the council and makes it more transparent.”

He could not say whether there would be a free vote for Conservative members on the plans.

Labour Councillor Claire Farrier, who also sits on the committee, said her group had unanimously voted for webcasting when similar proposals came out in September 2009.

She added: “I will definitely be voting in favour of it again, it is good for transparency and members of the community want it.”

The report is likely to come before a full council meeting in July.