What is filibustering? After 4 and a half hours - and no decision over the Kennet Centre we take a look

Still numb from a four and a half hour meeting, which saw a decision on Newbury's Kennet Centre redevelopment essentially filibustered out, councillors, officers - and reporters - can take comfort that mega waffle isn't unique to West Berkshire Council.

Filibustering is not new. To explain. A filibuster is an attempt to delay or block a vote on a piece of legislation or a confirmation.

Despite the pearl clutching mantra that full and open debate is the heart and soul of local democracy, there is a point at which someone needs to bang the metaphorical gavel and get on with making a decision.

Filibustering can equally be described as a delaying tactic, obstruction or even procrastination.

While the great and the good of West Berkshire Council's planning committees would argue robust debate is what it’s all about, the officers' time, and therefore resource spent, the willingness of a developer to raise £150m from investors to do the job, and the public's patience are all tested.

But it is nothing new.

One of the first known practitioners of the filibuster was the Roman senator Cato.

In debates over legislation he especially opposed, Cato would often obstruct the measure by speaking continuously until nightfall.

As the Roman Senate had a rule requiring all business to conclude by dusk, Cato's purposely long-winded speeches were an effective device to forestall a vote.

To be clear - none of the councillors at West Berkshire Council would appear to be purposely long-winded - nor do they have unlimited time for speeches. But they can all have their say, and can go in, out and around the details before them until they get an answer they are satisfied with.

So - two lots of four hour plus meetings seem mild in comparison to Cato's senate. Although there are some councillors who might appear to relish the opportunity to do a Cato and speak until midnight, should the council constitution allow.

To explain again. The council’s meetings are run under standing orders, so they have to vote to suspend those to carry on talking beyond a certain time frame. But only for another half an hour. So even if they wanted to wang on until midnight, the merciful admin Gods prevent this, so the shutters literally come down at 10.30pm.

Filibustering is effective as a tactic.

In the UK in 1874, Joseph Gillis Biggar started making long speeches in the House of Commons to delay the passage of Irish coercion acts. Irish nationalist Charles Parnell joined him in this tactic to obstruct the business of the House and force the Liberals and Conservatives to negotiate with him and his party.

The tactic was enormously successful, and Parnell and his MPs succeeded, for a time, in forcing Parliament to take the Irish Question of return to self-government seriously.

And one of the most notable filibusters of the 1960s occurred in the US when southern senators attempted to block the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by filibustering for a continuous 75 hours, including a 14-hour-and-13-minute address by Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia.

So West Berkshire Council is in good company when it comes to not making a decision. There is no date in the diary yet for another district planning meeting to decide. Or not.