Terms of use

By using the Open Council Network website and related services (“the service”), you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.

The service

OCN provides access to publicly published UK council meeting material, including search, summaries, transcripts where available, email products, and (for eligible users) API access. We are an independent organisation: we report on councils and are not the council itself.

Your responsibilities

• Use the service lawfully and do not attempt to disrupt, scrape excessively, or circumvent access controls.
• Keep your account credentials secure and tell us if you suspect unauthorised access.
• Do not rely on summaries or automated outputs as a substitute for official council records. See our AI and accuracy policy.
• Respect intellectual property in underlying council documents; our presentation does not grant rights beyond what the source material allows.

Accounts and paid products

Paid plans, email subscriptions, and API access are subject to the features and limits described at sign-up and in your account. Fees, renewal, and cancellation follow the checkout and billing flows we provide. Enterprise or custom terms may apply where agreed in writing.

API use is also described in our API documentation and API pricing pages. Separate licence terms may apply to bulk data exports.

Content and accuracy

We work from councils’ published material and automated processing (including AI). Content may be incomplete, out of date, or contain errors. Always check source documents and recordings on the relevant meeting page before relying on summaries or transcripts.

Our role

OCN structures and exposes evidence from public proceedings. We do not take positions on the substance of council decisions, campaign for outcomes, or endorse external claims about councils or politicians.

Availability and liability

We provide the service “as is” and aim for high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss arising from use of the service or reliance on its content. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

Changes and contact

We may update these terms; continued use after changes constitutes acceptance. Questions: community@opencouncil.network.