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UK’s Nuclear Free Local Authorities urge the South Copeland Geological Disposal Facility to make meetings more “accessible and transparent”

South Copeland GDF Community Partnership urged to make meetings more ‘accessible and transparent’

The Chair of the Nuclear Free Local Authorities has written to Councillor Ged McGrath, Chair of the South Copeland GDF Community Partnership urging partnership members to take further measures to make their meetings more ‘accessible and transparent’.

In his letter, Councillor David Blackburn commends the community partnership for making their next meeting on 12 October open to the public and for making time available on the agenda for public questions, and hopes that these are practices that the other three Community Partnerships will soon follow; however this still falls far short of best practice in local government.

Councillor Blackburn said:  “In Councils, agendas and papers, unless they are confidential, are published online in advance of meetings for members of the public to access, and proceedings are livestreamed and are recorded so the public can watch them if they are unable to attend in person.  Elected members attending meetings also make declarations of interest in public and record these interests at the start of proceedings.

“We also take great pains to ensure that the venues we use for meetings are accessible to people with disabilities, and that they are equipped with hearing loops.

“As almost all members of the community partnership are local Councillors, including the Chair, Councillor Ged McGrath, they will be very familiar with these practices, and it is my suggestion that this best practice be followed at all future meetings of the community partnership.”

Councillor Blackburn hopes that his suggestions will be discussed and adopted at the 12 October meeting of the Community Partnership.

October 9, 2022 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized