Protocol

Members of the public are entitled to report on meetings of Council, Committees and Cabinet, except in circumstances where the public have been excluded as permitted by law.

Reporting means:

• filming, photographing or making an audio recording of the proceedings of the meeting;
• using any other means for enabling persons not present to see or hear proceedings at a meeting as it takes place or later; or 
• reporting or providing commentary on proceedings at a meeting, orally or in writing, so that the report or commentary is available as the meeting takes place or later if the person is not present.

Anyone present at a meeting as it takes place, is not permitted to carry out an oral commentary or report. This is to prevent the business of the meeting being disrupted.

Anyone attending a meeting is asked to advise Democratic Services staff on 0115 9148 482, or email the officer named on the agenda pack, that they wish to report on the meeting and how they wish to do so. This is to enable employees to guide anyone choosing to report on proceedings to an appropriate place from which to be able to report effectively.

Members of the public are asked to remain seated throughout the meeting as standing up and walking around could distract from the business in hand.

In order to avoid accidents, the Council regrets that it is unable to facilitate members of the public using electric plug sockets in meetings for their equipment.

The Council may itself photograph, film, record or broadcast meetings and can retain, use or dispose of such material in accordance with its retention and disposal policies.

The minutes of a Council meeting remain the statutory and legally binding formal record of Council decisions.