Live Streaming of Meetings to Continue for Eastleigh Borough Council

Eastleigh Borough Council to continue to live-stream their meetings post lockdown.

17:40 29 June 2021

Eastleigh Borough Council has confirmed its decision to continue to live-stream and upload videos of its meetings post lockdown. 

 

In April 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Government temporarily allowed local authorities to conduct their meetings virtually to minimise the risk of virus spread. In May, following the successful vaccination programme, a high court ruling has authorised the return of live in-person meetings. Despite the ruling, many local authorities have continued to live-stream their meetings and upload their recordings on their respective YouTube accounts so they can be accessed at any time. 

 

A recent study released by The Speakers Croner Trust (SCT), a charity that promotes free speech and public debate, showed that remote council meetings have had a 'positive effect on local democracy'. 

 

Chair of Speakers’ Corner Trust, Louise Third MBE said: “I was convinced that the national lockdown in March 2020 would deal another hammer blow to local democratic engagement.

 

Decades of disenchantment with politicians have left council chambers empty and many people disinterested and disengaged.

 

This piece of research shows that some good has come out of the changes imposed on local councils by the pandemic. Now they must be allowed to continue to adapt and develop different ways to bring more people into decision-making. There must be no going back.”