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Tag Archives: Openness

Asking to Film and Ask Public Questions at Cambridge City Council - Click for Full Article

I have submitted the following message to the council’s democratic services email address, copying Councillor Tim Bick:

1. If a suitably less restrictive filming policy is adopted during the Thursday 19th April 2012 full council meeting I would like to film/photograph the council meeting from the point the new policy is adopted. I’d like [...]

Cambridge City Council to Review Restrictive Filming and Photography Policy - Click for Full Article

Cambridge City Council’s Civic Affairs Committee on the 21st of March 2012 is to review the city council’s currently highly restrictive policy on filming, recording and photographing council meetings.
The report to the meeting contains the following statement:

Since the Committee approved the amendments to the audio/visual recording protocol in February 2011, there have been no [...]

Parliament Blown Open by Hackers - Click for Full Article

1st edition of Thomas Erskine May’s book “A Treatise upon the Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament”. (Copyright on the 1st edition has expired).

An electronic copy of the text of Erskine May, the book which contains the rules under which which Parliament functions, has today been released by pro-democracy and pro-transparancy hackers.
The book, edited [...]

Cambridgeshire Police Expansion in use of Restorative Justice - Click for Full Article

A Cambridgeshire Police Constable in Cambridge

On the 25th of August 2011 during the policing section of the West Central Area committee I took the opportunity to draw councillors’ attention to the expansion in the range of offences which Cambridgeshire Police consider can now be dealt with, outside of court, through “restorative justice”. I also pointed [...]

SLM Contract Extension - Click for Full Article

SLM Contract Extension Document ( Download, PDF)

On Wednesday the 27th of July I visited Cambridge City Council, accompanied by two readers of my website, to view the city council’s accounts. One of the areas we looked into was the council’s transactions with Sports and Leisure Management Limited (SLM). SLM run the city’s swimming pools, and [...]

Cambridge City Council Accounts 2010-11 Open for Inspection - Click for Full Article

Cambridge City Council Draft Accounts 2010-11

I have written to Cambridge City Council to make an appointment to “inspect the accounts”:
Dear Cambridge City Council,
I would like to make an appointment to visit the council offices and inspect the accounts as I am entitled to do during the open period which is currently running.
I would [...]

Cambridgeshire Police Authority - June 2011 - Click for Full Article

Cambridgeshire Police Authority meet in public, but interesting items are taken in secret session

On the 29th of June 2011 I observed a meeting of Cambridgeshire Police Authority.
Key Points:

A decision was taken to axe the force helicopter, saving £500,000 a year by moving to use the Chiltern Air Support Unit as well as continuing with [...]

Cambridgeshire Police vs Jazz - Click for Full Article

The Cambridge building where a licence for a jazz club is being opposed by Cambridgeshire Police

On Monday the 27th of June 2011 I went to Cambridge Guildhall to observe a licensing hearing consider an application for The Jam House, 21 Hobson Street, Cambridge.
The Jam House is a chain of jazz venues. The Jam [...]

Cambridgeshire County Council Not Building Their Own WhatDoTheyKnow - Click for Full Article

On Thursday the 19th of May 2011 I visited Cambridgeshire County Council’s offices with Kings Hedges councillor Andy Pellew. Cllr Pellew had heard that the council were developing their own version of mySociety’s freedom of information website, WhatDoTheyKnow.com and on asking what was going on had been offered a meeting with the relevant officers. [...]

Antidemocratic Changes Proposed to Cambridgeshire County Council Constitution - Click for Full Article

Proposed amendments to Cambridgeshire County Council’s constitution have been published today, just one day before they are to go before a meeting of the full council on the 17th of May 2011.
The amendments have been put forward by Councillor Nick Clarke, who was recently elected leader of the ruling Conservative group on the council, [...]