COUNCIL VOW OF SILENCE
PKC won’t release recording of meeting
Perth and Kinross Council is refusing to release a recording of a controversial planning meeting leading a local group to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner to rule on whether it should be released.
Scone and District Community Council (SDCC) has twice asked PKC using Freedom of Information (FoI) laws to hand over a recording of the May meeting where councillors discussed and approved A & J Stephen’s application to build 700 houses north of the village - only to be told its staff do not consider that those who took part in the proceedings expected the recording to be made public afterwards.
The group wants to see the recording so it can fully understand how the development management committee reached its decision to approve the application, which attracted over 900 objections, and explain the reasons to residents who raised concerns about the proposed scheme during the public consultation but were unable to attend the mid-morning gathering.
But council officials insist the
proceedings were only recorded for training purposes and as such should not be released, an argument that SDCC refuses to accept and has now asked the Scottish Information Commissioner to scrutinise to see whether the argument is sound.
A council information officer’s response to the community council’s first request for a copy of the recording read: “I have discussed the reasons for recording this meeting with members of staff from the council’s democratic services and communications teams.
“They have advised me that the reason for recording this meeting was to assist in training, particularly training of councillors who had been recently elected.
“I have to advise that I do not consider that the individuals who were filmed at this meeting were aware that their personal information would be released into the public domain; in fact, at least some attendees at this meeting were told explicitly that they were being recorded for training purposes only.
“The release of these recordings to the public could not have been reasonably expected, and would therefore be incompatible with the purpose for which the information was provided.”
SDCC requested an internal review of the officer’s decision but the council’s head of legal and governance services, Lisa Simpson, upheld it saying she “agreed with the arguments” put forward.
Ms Simpson said: “I am satisfied that in this particular instance, the individuals would not have expected that the footage would be made public having been advised otherwise. Accordingly, I agree with the decision.”
SDCC vice-chair Jill Belch told the PA yesterday: “We are very puzzled as to why we cannot have this recording. The council should be prepared to be held to account for its decisions. We also think people in Scone have a right to know what was said during the meeting.”
The Scottish Information Commissioner has acknowledged SDCC’s request for a review of the council’s decision and has advised it will publish its own decision in due course.
PKC declined to comment.