Council criticised over decision to stop live webstreams of meetings

LABOUR councillors have accused Cheshire East Council of ‘displaying contempt for local residents’ by refusing to video future council meetings.

The move comes after it was revealed that Cheshire East paid £28,720 in the 2015 to webstream and archive 10 cabinet meetings. Neighbouring Cheshire West and Chester paid £32,850 for 87 meetings.

The council launched the live webcast programme that year which meant that those who couldn’t attend cabinet meetings could watch them online and for six months after the meeting.

And in 2016 the council began audio recording all other formal meetings.

But the council’s Constitution Committee has now voted to ditch the live webstreams of cabinet meetings and provide audio recordings only.

Coun Sam Corcoran, Labour leader group on Cheshire East Council, said it prevents residents from getting a full picture of democracy.

He said: “I really despair sometimes of the behaviour of the Cheshire East Tories, who appear to be dead set on preventing our residents from seeing how the council conducts its business.”

Coun Nick Mannion, who represents Macclesfield West and Ivy and is Labour member of the constitution Committee that considered the various options for videoing meetings.

He said: “Whilst disappointed, I was not completely surprised as any move towards greater transparency and openness seems to prompt an immediate reaction against it by Cheshire East Tories.”

Labour says it agreed that the current video contract for cabinet should not be continued, but that the council should explore less expensive ways of webcasting council meetings. The council’s Constitution Committee report said it had to pay for outside companies to record meetings because it ‘does not have dedicated Council Chamber’ where cameras can permanently be installed.

The report added that viewing figures are relatively low, with 357 views of the Cabinet meeting in October.

It added that all meetings would be audio recorded.

Councillor Rachel Bailey, leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “It is disappointing to see some members criticising changes that have expanded the recording of all formal meetings across the council – and brought greater openness and transparency to the work that we carry out on behalf of our residents.

“Because we have no permanent, dedicated council chamber, the costs of setting up and dismantling video recording equipment for council meetings has proved prohibitive – previously costing around £30,000 a year to cover meetings of cabinet alone.

“Now people who cannot attend meetings can be informed online about the debate and decisions taken across the whole range of business of council.

“Cheshire East Council is committed to openness and transparency and has therefore introduced audio recording equipment to record all its meetings that are open to the public – and not just cabinet, as was previously the case.”