For many months now, we have been subjected to an orchestrated campaign which we understood was to obtain permission to film the real business proceedings of Keighley Town Council in order to ensure complete transparency.

Last Thursday evening a clear majority of councillors voted both to permit the amateur filming of Council business within a clear protocol, and to arrange for the professional filming of the Council. During a serious and well-conducted debate, the filming campaigners, the self-styled ‘Cavetown’ group, packed the public gallery at Keighley Town Hall but immediately the filming vote had been taken, they all left the Town Hall and completely absented themselves from the remaining hour of real business of the Council, which included a very positive proposal, supported by Councillors of all faiths and none, to source funding for the repair of the Shared Church clock, as this was felt to be of importance to the people of Keighley.

We suggest that Cave Town Members have badly let down, even betrayed, their alleged supporters, who include MP Kris Hopkins and Secretary of State Eric Pickles, and the signatories to their petition, by deliberately absenting themselves from the main business portion of the September Council meeting, and we ask them to explain why this happened. Can it be that hearing and recording the real business of the Council is not in fact their primary objective and that their entire filming campaign has been a cover for a different agenda?

Councillors Peter Corkindale, Graham Mitchell, Brian Morris, Andrea Walker, Margaret Ward, Michael Westerman, Michael Wilkinson, Tony Wright