Edition: Summer 2020
One of the biggest challenges in Local Government when social distancing and lockdown measures were introduced was managing the democratic process safely and lawfully.
Public meetings, including Full Council, Cabinet and Planning Committee, take place regularly and it’s our duty and legal obligation to ensure they are as accessible to the public as they would be normally.
The online conferencing solution that the Democratic Services team developed is working well. All meeting attendees sign in to the video-conferencing platform Zoom, and the meeting event is streamed live on the Council’s YouTube channel.
- Meeting attendees are able to raise their hand to ask questions in the meeting
- Votes are done by asking each member in turn whether they agree or not, as they would be in person
- If a councillor has connectivity issues and misses a portion of the discussion about an issue, they are excluded from voting on that particular issue.
It’s great that the public are now able to watch our meetings live on the internet. While councillors are happy to attend the meetings from home, I think we all miss the traditional format of being in the same room together.
David Penrose, Democratic Services Manager
Watch online
Watch Council meeting videos on the Horsham District Council Youtube channel
Read the latest edition
You may also like
Helping the community save money and natural resources
Our Community Climate Fund offers up to £5,000 for local community organisations to deliver new projects that reduce carbon emissions.
Celebrating local volunteering
Horsham District is home to a vibrant array of voluntary groups who bring people together, support those in need, and help build stronger, more connected communities.
Connect to Work
West Sussex residents who face barriers to securing and sustaining work can get support to find a job with Connect to Work.