Harrogate Council Live Streaming Update

Harrogate council may live stream their meetings in a bid to accurately record the business of the authority.

03:33 29 January 2020

Harrogate councilors are set to discuss proposals to live stream their meetings online. The idea was first proposed in December by Councillor Chris Aldred (Lib Dem), who called on councillors to follow other authorities’ lead and broadcast its meetings on the internet.

 

 

 

The motion read: “It is proposed that this council records, in the council minutes, all verbal questions and answers that are raised during the ‘Accountability of the Executive and Committee Chairs’ agenda item.

 

 

 

“To aid this process, this council looks at the possibility of ‘live streaming’ full council meetings on the internet, with a view to instigating such processes, prior to the annual meeting in May 2020.”

 

 

 

A report prepared for the General Purposes Committee outlines the benefits of live streaming the meetings. It said that it will make “the council more accessible and transparent to the public” and will allow them to watch meetings “at a time and location that is convenient for them.” However, it also noted that live streaming may lead to fewer and fewer people attending meetings in person which could lead to fewer opportunities for conversations with councilors.