“I think we should be honest where this paper falls short and we are disappointed particularly on dealing with the live streaming issue.”
Live video of Lagan Valley chamber has failed to start rolling again after a three year shut down amid claims of a 300% cost rise.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) pulled the plug on public streaming of its committees in October 2022, with a report at the time citing running costs of £6,455 per year.
A transparency report this week (seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service -LDRS) has claimed the new costings for streaming to the public would now be at a hiked spend of £25k causing allegations of a “retreat” from openness to the public.
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The chief executive said:”Initial investigation of livestreaming of all committee meetings would require additional technical and financial resources.
“At a time of competing resource pressures, it is proposed not to progress with video recording, however officers will explore alternative solutions once the new team structure is implemented.”
In comparison, other NI local authorities such as Belfast and Newry, Mourne and Down live stream all of their committees and full council meetings.
Downshire East Alliance councillor Kurtis Dickson said:”I think we should be honest where this paper falls short and we are disappointed particularly on dealing with the live streaming issue.
“We had all agreed in this chamber that live streaming of committees should resume.
“The recommendation before us seems to retreat from that commitment and proposes not to progress with live streaming until a later date, that is not what we agreed.
“I propose a report be brought back in the new year, fully costed with alternative options so that live streaming can begin as soon as possible.”
An online transparency motion was brought about in Lagan Valley by the currently suspended independent Councillor Gary Hynds for public viewing and more rapid turnaround of publishing council minutes. The motion was approved in February.
Typed minutes from committees are currently not published on the LCCC website until they have been ratified at full council, which can be a number of weeks later.
The chief executive has now pledged 3-5 working days to publish the audio recordings.
However, much of the agenda items at committees will continue to remain in confidential sessions due to legal advice on financial matters.
This means despite promises of audio and online transparency, the public and media will still be shut out from closed off discussions on the spending of ratepayers’ money.
The chamber has now heard a call to be “more transparent”.
Lisburn South DUP Alderman Paul Porter said: “I think it is right to put on the record our thanks to Councillor Hynds who brought the notice of motion.
“We have nothing to hide, although sometimes whenever I see what happens at a committee and then see some members’ Facebook, I wonder what meeting they were at.
“To be fair, the more transparent we are at these meetings, the accuracy we will have on some of the Facebook posts.
“What we say in this chamber should be accountable and I am happy for the public to hear what I say, we want openness and transparency.”
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