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A councillor has hit out at transparency levels at his own council saying he “would like to see more of it”.

The DUP Councillor raised concerns after almost an entire agenda was kept away from the public in ‘confidential session’.

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s (LCCC) communities and well-being committee discussed five out of six of its reports behind closed doors.

The criticism comes as the local authority is due for a dramatic U-turn on bringing cameras back into the chamber for live democracy debates open to the public.

Alderman Paul Porter has raised concerns about the lack of transparency in council meetings. Pic credit: LCCC

Lisburn South Alderman, Paul Porter said: “I am the second longest serving councillor in this chamber and I was somewhat shocked when I got the report for tonight’s meeting.

“Without having the motion before the council, we would have had the entire meeting held in confidential session.

“I recall meetings lasting at times some two to three hours.

“But, we could now have members of the public concerned about how our meeting agendas are suddenly very small, if the public thinks this is all we discuss. We had only one item in open discussion. “I never expected that this is where we would find ourselves.

“We voted in chambers to be more open and transparent and I would like to see more of it, if the cameras are about to start rolling again."

Councillors had previously agreed to pull the plug on live broadcasts in 2022. However, LCCC’s corporate committee had unanimously supported a motion in February to live stream all meetings online and to challenge discussions moving into confidential session away from the media and public.

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Councillor Gary Hynds added: “If you even look at other committee agendas, they are relatively short, it is not just this committee.

“There is ongoing concern about transparency. We want the public to see what we are doing. We are here to do business.

“At times it seems like we are just getting comfortable in our seats and we’re away again.”

Media and members of the public are frequently requested to leave council chambers as councillors vote to move a meeting into a confidential session.

Councillor raises concerns over lack of transparency as meetings are held in private