BOROUGH councillors in West Devon have agreed in principle to make their attendance figures at council and committee meetings available to the public.

The move to publish figures on the authority's website followed a motion by Cllr Robin Musgrave to ask members to pay back a proportion of their basic £4,200 allowance, should their attendance fall below 65% without justifiable reasons.

However, some members at the full council meeting last week felt that attendance figures did not always paint a correct picture of the dedication of members.

Cllr Musgrave said it was vital that members got involved in the critical decision- making process. Publishing attendance records was normal practice in many neighbouring councils, including the borough's sister council — South Hams District Council, he said.

'Residents only have an opportunity every four years to elect us so we must be seen to be accountable,' he said.

'When we consider the future that this council is facing over the next 12 to 18 months and the changes we need to make, I hope members do not make too much of what I consider a very simple amendment to our current practices.'

Cllr Ted Sherrell said in these stringent times, he would not object to paying money back to the council if he could not attend 65% of the meetings, but he said a great deal of work was done outside the council chamber, what with phone calls and being stopped in the street to discuss items of concern.

Cllr Alison Clish Green said she welcomed this motion as when she was a supply teacher, she frequently had to turn down work because she had a council meeting.

'It is a commitment and I feel quite sad sometimes at some people's track record of not coming to council meetings,' she said.

'I think the public has a right to know who turns up to meetings.'

But leader of the council Philip Sanders said: 'Members might have a good attendance record but be very poor at catering to the needs of their constituents.

'Conversely a member who is poor at attending meetings might be very active in campaigning for their community.

'I am wholly in favour of keeping a record and I support it so strongly that I want to get it right. I am not shying away from it in any way, shape or form.'

Cllr Robert Oxborough said to take a 'broadbrush' approach was a little 'crude': 'It is a minefield because there is lots that is done outside the council chamber. How, for example, do we count the times we spend dealing with emails?'

Cllr Sanders proposed an amendment, which was carried by 18 votes to five, that the council agree in principle to publish members' annual attendance of all public meetings of the council and its committees on the council's website.

With regard to setting potential meeting attendance thresholds and any consequent sanctions, this issue will be deferred to the four group leaders (or their nominees) for further detailed discussion, with their recommendations then being presented back to the council meeting on February 17, 2015.