Brentwood Borough Council has removed the webcast recording of a heated debate turned sour after Tory administration members walked out of a council meeting.
The walkout left opposition councillors to continue by themselves. But the webcast that had been posted on the borough council website, has been taken down after concerns were raised about individual members, the governance arrangements and the role of officers at the meeting, last night.
That decision has caused considerable concern with accusations that the council is not acting transparently.
Phil Mynott, (Brentwood North) had asked the Brentwood Borough Council environment committee last night, Wednesday, if he could debate the practicality of transporting grit bags across the borough.
The request came after a lengthy and thorny debate on several issues relating to recycling and rubbish collection.
But instead chairman Tony Sleep and his Tory colleagues walked out without actually having called an end to the meeting.
One opposition member said: "The Lib Dem's Karen Chilvers took the chair and we carried on regardless.
"We could have voted for all sorts of things, without the Tories there, but we didn't.
"We were very sensible about it all."
David Kendall, Lib Dem leader said: "I fully support an investigation into all the events surrounding last night's environment panel meeting but I see no reason for the webcast to be taken down as that is simply a factual recording of the events that took place up to the time it was stopped.
"In my view the webcast should remain available for public viewing."
The walkout left opposition councillors to continue by themselves. But the webcast that had been posted on the borough council website, has been taken down after concerns were raised about individual members, the governance arrangements and the role of officers at the meeting, last night.
That decision has caused considerable concern with accusations that the council is not acting transparently.
Phil Mynott, (Brentwood North) had asked the Brentwood Borough Council environment committee last night, Wednesday, if he could debate the practicality of transporting grit bags across the borough.
The request came after a lengthy and thorny debate on several issues relating to recycling and rubbish collection.
But instead chairman Tony Sleep and his Tory colleagues walked out without actually having called an end to the meeting.
One opposition member said: "The Lib Dem's Karen Chilvers took the chair and we carried on regardless.
"We could have voted for all sorts of things, without the Tories there, but we didn't.
"We were very sensible about it all."
David Kendall, Lib Dem leader said: "I fully support an investigation into all the events surrounding last night's environment panel meeting but I see no reason for the webcast to be taken down as that is simply a factual recording of the events that took place up to the time it was stopped.
"In my view the webcast should remain available for public viewing."