A request for broadcast access to a crucial meeting of Lincolnshire County Council has been turned down.
The request was made on behalf of the BBC, Yorkshire Television, Lincs FM and Orchard News Bureau. They wanted broadcast access to a county council meeting to discuss the implications of the conviction of former leader Jim Speechley and the future of its chief executive David Bowles.
The council had twice in 2002 allowed the broadcast media in to cover meetings about a critical audit and the conduct of Speechley.
The latest request was for broadcast, sound recording and photography access to the meeting “so that proceedings can be reported in a fair manner, and people unable to get into the public gallery are not disadvantaged”.
But the county council’s solicitor, Charlie Adan, told journalists: “It has been decided on balance on this occasion, access for radio and television to the council meeting for live recording would be inappropriate.”
The future of Bowles is now to be considered at a private meeting this Friday (7 May). The Lincolnshire Echo has alleged there is a plot to get rid of him for exposing corruption.
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