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
A spring welcome
As we head into spring, this new year brings several big developments for the District. We are committed that 2026 will be a year of progress and shared success for everyone in our District.
Taking care of our hedgerows
Hedgerows are vital to biodiversity, providing valuable cover and food for over 100 vulnerable species, and bringing many benefits for farming, including reducing soil erosion and providing shelter for livestock.
Did you Know?
Find out about Southern Water's support and the Priority Service Register.