Wealden District Council has come in for criticism for issues surrounding the live streaming of a planning meeting.
On Monday (November 27), the authority’s Planning Committee North held a meeting without the usual live webcast of its proceedings, as a result of what the council described as ‘technical difficulties’.
The meeting’s agenda had included two major applications, including a 120-home scheme at Steel Cross in Crowborough and a 21-dwelling scheme. at Straight Half Mile in Maresfield. Both were approved in line with officer recommendations.
The meeting was recorded and has now been made available, but the decision to move ahead without the livestream came in for criticism from Conservative councillor Michael Lunn, who pointed to previous issues with the live streaming of the committee.
Conservative councillor Michael Lunn said: “It is disturbing to see yet another technical failure of the council’s live streaming of Planning Committee North.
“It is imperative that these meetings are live streamed, to watch the debates and voting on key planning applications which effect local communities.
“I hope this will be the last and final failure as failing to live-stream sends the wrong signals to the public of open democracy, transparency and accountability of the current administration.”
When approached by the LDRS, a council spokesman said: “Due to a technical issue the meeting was not able to be live streamed today. A recording will be made available after via our Webcast Portal. We apologise in advance for the inconvenience caused.”
