Public Participation in Council Meetings Policy 2025–2028

About this item

Overview

The Public Participation in Council Meetings Policy 2025–2028 explains how members of the public, press, and representatives can attend, ask questions, and record proceedings at meetings of Kesgrave Town Council and its Committees. It supports openness, transparency, and community engagement while ensuring meetings are conducted efficiently and respectfully.

Public Attendance and Participation

All Council meetings are held in public, unless confidential business requires exclusion under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960. The Council welcomes contributions from residents, local organisations, and interested parties during the public forum session.

• Public participation normally takes place near the start of the meeting and lasts up to 15 minutes.
• Each speaker is allowed a maximum of 3 minutes to ask a question.
• Questions should relate to Council business and not to personal or private matters.
• Members of the public are encouraged to give prior notice to the Clerk or Chair to allow a fuller response at the meeting.
• The Chair may extend the time allowed for participation or vary the order of questions at their discretion.

Rules and Conduct

• Public contributions are limited to questions; statements or interjections are not permitted.
• If proceedings are disrupted, the Chair may request an individual to leave the meeting.
• No decisions will be made during the public forum, but matters raised may be researched and discussed later.
• Responses not provided at the meeting will be sent in writing within 14 days and formally noted at the next meeting.

Reports and Updates

Time is provided for the police and for district or county councillors to report on local issues and take questions from the public, subject to the Chair’s discretion and within the overall time limit.

Recording of Meetings

The Council supports the public and press in recording or reporting meetings that are open to the public. Recordings include video, photography, audio recording, written reporting (such as blogging), or social media updates.

• Those wishing to record are asked to inform the Clerk 24 hours in advance.
• Reasonable steps will be taken to inform attendees and to provide a space for anyone who does not wish to be filmed.
• Recording must not cause disruption or involve flash photography, extra lighting, or movement during debate.
• The Chair may suspend or terminate recording if it causes disruption or breaches privacy rights.

Use of Recordings

Council encourages responsible, accurate, and balanced use of recordings. Any published recording should state the meeting’s date, context, and main speakers, and should not be edited in a way that misrepresents the discussion or participants. Recordings must comply with data protection and defamation laws.

Download

Download Public Participation in Council Meetings Policy 2025–2028 (PDF)

Contact: For questions about this policy or attending a Council meeting, email enquiry@kesgravetowncouncil.gov.uk .