North Somerset Council (NSC) live stream their meetings on their YouTube Channel, which are also accessible to the public after the meeting here. Records of NSC meeting agendas, reports and minutes are publicly available to view on their website here.
It is interesting to note how the different levels of government allow public access to meetings and associated information during COVID19 restrictions. For instance,
- Bleadon Parish Council (BPC) has so far declined access to their public Zoom audio and/or video recordings since they started in June last year. Conversely, Brent Knoll parish council publishes its physical village hall and virtual Zoom recordings on Youtube.
- In January 2021 BPC were enthusiastic about publishing their meetings, to be seen to be open and transparent, but by the next meeting BPC minuted, " To resolve that the Council will only record the virtual meetings as a draft to the minutes and once they are approved at the next meeting the recording will be destroyed." (Min 370.7.2).
- BPC currently doesn't generally publish its reports and appendices prior, during or after its meetings. Conversely Brent Knoll use the zoom document sharing facility during their meetings, so that residents can understand what is being publicly discussed.
- BPC has also stopped its public Finance, Planning and Open Spaces open sub-committees, preferring instead to create closed, undocumented working groups, Conversely, neighbouring Locking Parish Council continue to publicly hold and publish their sub-committee meetings,
- BPC created a closed undocumented Budget/Finance working group. Conversely, Locking PC have a Finance Committee that discussed a 'Five Year Financial Strategic Plan' and an 'Investment Strategy for Parish Council Reserves'.
Why the lack of openness and transparency in BPC discussions and decision making, especially with regards to financial matters? Why do residents have the least information about parish councillors government in our community?
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See also:
- Parliamentary broadcasts, and associated Hansard transcripts
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