Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager

The Committee considered a report of the Democratic Services Manager relating to Webcasting of Council and Committee meetings.

The Council on15 October 2009, had requested the committee to investigate the possibility of introducing Webcasting of Council meetings and Committees in Cheshire East.

The report centred on the experiences of the former Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council which had introduced Webcasting in 2006 . The facility had been installed into the Council Chamber at the Municipal buildings and comprised:

Three small video cameras positioned around the Chamber

            Wi-Fi connection and associated wiring

            Server Suite (laptop/ audio equipment/DVD recorder)

            Mobile recording kit (stand alone cameras and DVD recorder)

There was a capital cost for the initial installation, and a number of staff were trained to operate the system.

There were three types of broadcast available:

• Test – the action is monitored but not broadcast
• Local – the action is recorded, uploaded onto the internet without editing 24-48 hours after the meeting
• Live – broadcast in real time

The Committee considered the advantages and disadvantages of introducing such a facility at the present time in light of the practical difficulties the Council faced at the moment by operating from 3 separate sites within Cheshire East.

As there would be a significant capital outlay, in the first instance, to install the necessary infrastructure to allow web casting to take place, the Committee was of the view that a decision could not be taken until the long term meeting arrangements for Cheshire East had been agreed.

Members were reminded that agendas and reports were available for all meetings on the Council’s website and that all formal meetings of the Council were open to the public. As anecdotal evidence suggested that audiences for web casted Council meetings in other local authorities was on the whole insignificant, it was contended that until such time as the Council reviewed its current peripatetic meeting arrangements, it would not be in the best interests of the Council to incur expenditure to provide a web casting facility.

RESOLVED  - That Council be recommended to take no action introduce facilities to web-cast meetings until such time as the long term meeting arrangements of the Council have been determined.