For the second consecutive time, a council has failed to provide a live stream of a crucial planning meeting.
The previous attempt to stage the event, on 12 October, was plagued by technical issues with no live stream and only partially recorded, and it appears gremlins have returned to prevent live streaming of crucial planning decision making.
Planning Committee North at Wealden District Council gathered this morning [Monday 27th November] but those not in the room were unable to view proceedings, despite the advance promise that “a live webcast will be available.”
Members and Officers present were considering a number of key applications and many residents and councillors who are not members of the committee would have been watching.
The agenda items included two major applications. One was for 120 new homes to be built on land at Steel Cross in Crowborough and another for 21 dwellings to be constructed at Straight Half Mile in Maresfield.
Conservative councillor Michael Lunn was among those hoping to watch the meeting live. He 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.”
The council published an apology on social media saying that a recording of the meeting would be posted “as soon as possible”. Until then it’s not possible to hear what was said or to see how councillors voted.
