PEOPLE tell me that Leyburn town councillors have decided not to publish the council minutes in the D&S Times or other local newspapers.

That is totally untrue and it has created a lot of ill will against councillors.

The agenda for the council meeting of August 15 included “Item 6e: To ratify decision taken at July meeting to send main points of meetings and not the unratified minutes to the press”.

It was, however, unanimously agreed that the full ratified minutes would be sent to the press as usual.

The fact is that no councillor wanted to see the freedom of the press restricted, and the argument at the July meeting was not about curtailing that freedom but it was about accuracy.

It was decided that to avoid inaccuracies and embarrassment to councillors who may be misquoted in a public document, the press should be given bullet points of proceedings by the clerk and that accurate minutes should be published once they had been approved by the council, as the law requires.

One councillor said that at least the public concern about this matter disclosed that some people were interested in the workings of Leyburn Town Council. It would be better still if those people who allegedly made comments about democracy would come to council meetings where they have the opportunity to express their views, and to hear what factually takes place.

The notion that Leyburn Town Council tried to gag the press undemocratically and unlawfully is totally incorrect.

I am committed to lawful conduct and democracy and this is based on carefully acquired knowledge by engaging with the law, rules and regulations, which are part of any local government. Neither I nor other councillors take this lightly. Even those who may be ill-informed are of sufficient good will to follow the legal and democratic principles.

Perhaps we should leave it to others to consider whether it is right that the chair of Leyburn Town Council is also the proprietor of Leyburn Life magazine and acts in both capacities during meetings.

However, the issue here is the accuracy of the minutes. I am glad the matter has been resolved, and I supported this.

Cllr Bernard Borman, Leyburn