Councillors call for the recording of meetings to help transparency and communication

Councillors Les McGuire and John Pryce have put a motion to Wednesday's council meeting that a visual and audio recording of all town council meetings be taken and that these be made available via the council’s website for six years.

The two councillors say capital costs of recording equipment would be financed by a Morrisons windfall fund - money received when the supermarket took over part of the Livestock market land, with the revenue costs being funded by the council.

They said recording council meeting would ensure transparency in the decision-making process and allow citizens to access and review the discussions and decisions made by council members.

"This promotes accountability among elected officials, as they know their actions are being recorded and can be reviewed by the public," the motion says.

It would also provide a historical record and also make information easily accessible to a wider audience.

"Not everyone can attend council meetings in person due to various constraints, recording meetings allows people to stay informed and engaged with local governance by providing them with the opportunity to watch or listen to the proceedings at their convenience," the councillors say.

The also say recorded meetings can serve as a valuable resource, training and learning and improved communication.

"It is a useful practice to enhance accountability and strengthen democracy at the local level. The recording of council meetings is already being conducted by parish councils throughout the United Kingdom and can be viewed via the relevant council’s website with little or no problem.”

The two councillors are also calling for public session time at meetings to be increased from 15 to 30 minutes.

The meeting on Wednesday in the Guildhall starts at 7pm.