Labour Amendment to Minutes - Webcasting

Speech by Cllr Andrew Waller on Thu 22nd Jan 2009

I cannot believe that spending £50,000 in the first year on webcasting this council chamber for 6.5 hours a month is really what the public out there are demanding.

At this time when resources should be utilised to either maximise our response to the credit crunch and supporting business, or else reducing the impact of the council tax increase on families facing rising prices.

This council does a great deal to engage with the public, and where there are specific and direct concerns they do come to council meetings, see the papers and updates in front of them and are better able to follow proceedings than if the pictures were merely beamed into their computer monitors.

The Liberal Democrat group does support the principle of openness that could be served by the webcasting that is proposed, we even had a taste of it at the Executive on Tuesday thanks to the Press. However, the issue is why now, why do this in advance of all of the other priorities ?

I would therefore ask that councillors reject this amendment.