Openness Regulations - briefing for Berkshire and Oxfordshire 2nd October

Important! Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 – this means filming, blogging and tweeting of your council meeting

The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has issued a Plain English Guide to the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 to coincide with the implementation of these Regulations in the first week in August. DCLG has sought to regularise what it sees as an anomaly in that reporting was allowed in the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations of 2012 for local authorities with executive arrangements which excluded town and parish councils. DCLG view this as a logical extension of open and transparent democracy.

These Regulations introduce two important requirements:

• Allowing people to film, blog, tweet or use other types of social media to report on council meetings; and the
• Recording of delegated decisions made by officers under instruction of the council.

BALC and Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils have taken the initiative and organised a morning briefing from Liz Howlett, solicitor on Thursday 2nd October. This will be at Didcot, Civic Hall, 9.30-12.30pm cost £35 + VAT per member council delegate.


Please send bookings to Oxfordshire, all the details are on the form which has been sent to all clerks of member councils.

More details from christine.lalley@ccberks.org.uk 0118 9612200 or info@oalc.org.uk 01491 823118