Angus Council’s second youngest elected member is making a bid for the authority to broadcast its meetings live online.
In a motion going before a full meeting of the council on Thursday, Forfar Conservative councillor Braden Davy is urging colleagues to get behind a plan to consider webcasting and look into its costs.
He believes the move would increase the body’s transparency and give the Angus public increased opportunity to hold decision-makers to account.
Other Scots councils already broadcast their proceedings, but if Mr Davy’s motion is successful it would see Angus become the first in Tayside or Fife to do so.
The move follows Mr Davy’s previous, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to move Angus Council meetings back to 5pm from their current 2pm start time to allow more people to attend.
He said “Since being elected in May, I have been looking at ways to ensure more people can find out what Angus councillors are doing, and keep up-to-date with the decisions we are making.
“The current format of meetings, where we meet at 2pm in Forfar, can mean lots of people are excluded – those who may find travelling difficult, or those who can’t secure time off work.
“The only other way they could find out what happened is through media reports, word of mouth, or by reading through published council minutes.”
Mr Davy continued: “Technology has moved on and the live broadcast of Angus council meetings would be a great opportunity for members of the public who may have an interest in something to stay informed.
“They would be able to see first-hand the discussions which take place, and would be able to engage with the decision-making process. They would also be able to hold councillors to account.
“We don’t yet know what this would cost, or whether it would be feasible, but a similar system exists in both larger and smaller councils like Glasgow and Moray, so it’s right we look into doing this in as efficiently as possible.
“I would like to see our council meetings be as modern, open and transparent as possible and I am hopeful that this motion will receive everyone’s support.”
Perth and Kinross Council have begun recording proceedings and posting them to You Tube.
Audience figures for the initiative have, however, been far from blockbusting with two of the most recent postings drawing a combined figure of around 75 views.
