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LOCAL Government minister Eric Pickles is calling on local councils to let journalists film, tweet and report on all meetings.

The minister said freedom of speech and independent journalism are under attack following an incident at a planning meeting at Wirral, during which residents were ordered not to film proceedings.

Mr Pickles responded by announcing new guidance formally opening planning appeal hearings to be filmed, tweeted and reported. And challenged councils across the country to open their planning committees and other meetings.

New guidance by the Planning Inspectorate will clarify the rights of members of the press and public, including local bloggers and hyper-local journalists, to report, film and tweet planning appeal hearings.

Ministers hope this will open up a previously mysterious and rarely seen side of the planning process.

The Planning Inspectorate determines 20,000 appeals a year, of which roughly 2,000 are via hearings or inquiries, compared with almost half a million planning applications considered by councils.