Bridgnorth council meetings could be live steamed

The meetings have been streamed live by a local teenager, Charlie Peters, in recent months onto a social media page which can then be shared elsewhere.

But now a councillor has suggested the council employees take over the work which has "brought the council into the 21st century".

Councillor Julia Buckley proposed a motion at the council meeting on Tuesday for the council to look at taking responsibility for recording meetings and putting online on its own website and on social media.

Councillor Buckley said: "I would like to ask if we could look to record our meetings in video form ourselves.

"Charlie should be commended for bringing the council into the 21st century, it makes us watch our behaviour as we've got hundreds of people watching and listening to the discussions and taking an interest in what we do.

"Is it possible, is there a cost, and when could we start?"

Mayor Ron Whittle had concerns about the cost and technicality of streaming the council meeting live.

He said: "As far as I'm aware in the last three years while I've been here we've never had a problem with behaviour in meetings so it's not an issue which would concern us.

"I'm concerned at the cost of doing this. If we're going to do it as a council we need to do it properly.

"Charlie does a good job but if there were a lot of members of the public here it would be difficult not to show those.

"Our staff haven't got the ability to do it."

Councillor Buckley replied: "Everybody can do it, most people under 30 are doing it everywhere and it is zero cost.

"I object that is would cost a lot or be complicated.

"It's about taking responsibility by someone we employ doing it and putting it on the council's website.

"Charlie is a 14-year-old young man who is doing it at zero cost."

Councillors voted for the town clerk to look into live streaming the meetings onto the council website and its own social media platforms.