Call for Barnsley Council to broadcast more meetings to improve transparency
More council meetings could soon be livestreamed and recorded for the public after councillors proposed a motion to expand webcasting at Barnsley Town Hall.
The proposal, brought forward by Liberal Democrat councillors Steve Hunt and Chris Wray, calls for a wider range of committee meetings to be broadcast online using existing technology.
Currently, only full council and cabinet meetings at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council are webcast, with recordings available to watch online for up to six months.
Councillors Hunt and Wray noted that changes to election cycles have resulted in cost savings for the authority, creating an opportunity to extend webcasting without placing additional pressure on council budgets.
The motion calls for BMBC to begin webcasting a number of additional meetings as soon as possible and no later than the start of the next municipal year.
These include licensing, planning and scrutiny meetings.
The meetings would also be recorded and made available online for six months after they take place.
Councillors were told that committee meetings were successfully webcast during the Covid-19 pandemic and that many other local authorities already broadcast a wider range of meetings.
The motion highlights a number of benefits of livestreaming council meetings, including improved transparency, greater public access and inclusion, and increased accountability of elected members.
It also notes that recordings provide a public record that residents can return to at a later date, helping to build trust and understanding of council decision-making.
The motion will be debated by the next full council meeting on February 5.