This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
    • Politics
    • Transport
    • Lifestyle
    • Community
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Education
    • Sport
    • Harrogate
    • Ripon
    • Knaresborough
    • Boroughbridge
    • Pateley Bridge
    • Masham
  • What's On
  • Offers
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts

Interested in advertising with us?

Advertise with us

  • News & Features
  • Your Area
  • What's On
  • Offers
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts
  • Politics
  • Transport
  • Lifestyle
  • Community
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Education
  • Sport
Advertise with us
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Latest News

We want to hear from you

Tell us your opinions and views on what we cover

Contact us
Connect with us
  • About us
  • Advertise your job
  • Correction and complaints
Download on App StoreDownload on Google Play Store
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Statement
  • Comments Participation T&Cs
Trust In Journalism

Copyright © 2020 The Stray Ferret Ltd, All Rights Reserved

Site by Show + Tell

Subscribe to trusted local news

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

  • Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

15

Oct 2020

Last Updated: 15/10/2020
Politics
Politics

Harrogate Borough Council accused of 'behaving like a secret state'

by Connor Creaghan

| 15 Oct, 2020
Comment

0

Jerry Diccox accuses the council of 'shameful' behaviour and says it should follow its own aims of being more open and democratic after winning his six-month Freedom of Information battle.

harrogatecouncilresized

A local man has accused Harrogate Borough Council of "behaving like a secret state" after winning a six-month Freedom of Information battle.

Jerry Diccox submitted a FoI request in March after council leader Cllr Richard Cooper rejected calls to stream meetings live online.

Mr Cooper said he could not justify spending tens of thousands of pounds on streaming meetings that would be watched by two or three people.

Mr Diccox asked the council to provide evidence substantiating Mr Cooper's claims. The council said the information was exempt from disclosure because it was commercially sensitive.

Mr Diccox requested an internal review, saying the issue related to public money and therefore the information should be in the public domain. But the council's chief solicitor upheld the original decision.

'Nothing short of shameful'


However, the Information Commissioner's Office ruled in Mr Diccox's favour when he appealed and, six months after his original request, the information was released.

Writing back to the council, Mr Diccox said the process had been a "huge waste of time". He added:

"That it took pressure from the ICO and over six months of waiting for Harrogate Borough Council to provide this information, during which time it attempted to hide it behind the "public interest" exemption, is nothing short of shameful.
"It demonstrates either a wilful determination within the council to avoid public accountability, democracy and openness
"In future, the council should try to follow its own aims of being more open and democratic, and stop trying to behave like a secret state."






Read more:



  • North Yorkshire devolution: what happens now?

  • North Yorkshire districts could be placed in different covid tiers

  • Save our Markets petition goes to council tonight






Harrogate Borough Council denied there was any attempt to avoid accountability:

"The quotes were provided by external suppliers as part of the process to investigate the cost of equipping the council chamber with the hardware necessary to live-stream meetings and software for proceedings to be ‘broadcast’.
"We believed this information to be commercially sensitive and therefore exempt from disclosure under section 43(2) of the FOI Act. The Information Commissioner disagreed with our judgement, so we have released the information."


Mr Diccox's efforts revealed the council received three quotes for streaming its meetings, ranging from just over £5,000 to nearly £48,000:


  • Option 1: £5,377 one-off cost for installation and training to enable YouTube hosting. The council would be responsible for managing videos.

  • Option 2: £25,185 for one year or £40,623 for three years. Full webcasting solution offer to install and service the streaming of meetings.

  • Option 3: £19,168 for one year or £47,468 for three years. Full webcasting solution offer will be the same as option 2 but also include website hosting fees.


HBC did not take up any of the options to stream meetings from the council chambers.

Since covid it has, however, held meetings on Microsoft Teams and broadcast them on YouTube. They are then removed after two weeks.