Members of the public are free to tweet, send text messages and film council meetings following Thursday’s Redbridge Town Hall meeting.

Councillors agreed to changes to allow communications on mobile electronic devices at public meetings.

But the Mayor of Redbridge, or the relevant chairman, retains a right to ban such use or audio-visual recordings.

The freedoms were not granted in licensing, planning and regulatory committees following an amendment put forward by Cllr Nick Hayes, a Conservative councillor for Fullwell ward.

Cllr Hayes said: “It’s really quite straight forward.

“If you object to a planning application, you don’t have a choice but to get involved.

“It can be quite daunting.

“The general principle [of the changes] is to have quite a lax regime, but that would not be appropriate in these committees.”

Cllr Hayes said the chairs of those meetings would now have time to consider if further changes were required.