Members of the Ventnor Town Council (VTC) – recognised as one of the most progressive town councils across the country – will tonight (Monday) be discussing plans to live stream their meetings on YouTube.
Following low public attendance at meetings in recent times, and as part of the VTC’s firm commitment to transparency about its work, members are being recommended to agree to live-streaming their meetings from early next year (2018).
Preparations complete
Papers for tonight’s meeting (which starts at 7pm and takes place in the Green Room of Salisbury Gardens, Dudley Road) reveals that all the necessary preparations have been completed to live stream the meetings to YouTube in the future.
The papers state:
The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 strengthened the government’s determination to ensure that local councils at all levels should be fully transparent by extending the rights of members of the public to record proceedings to include filming their meetings and publishing of the records.
Ventnor, in the Vanguard again
An unpublished trial run has taken place for Members to become familiar with the process.
Whilst some town councils on the Isle of Wight appear agitated about being filmed and held to account, Ventnor are in the vanguard of a more modern approach.
Image: korosirego under CC BY 2.0
