Unanimous support for a crackdown on Lisburn and Castlereagh confidential council debates could soon see "the good, the bad and the ugly" of democratic decisions broadcast live.
A corporate committee motion to stream all meetings online and to challenge discussions moving into confidential session away from the media and public, was approved this week.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) had previously pulled the plug on live broadcasts in 2022 backed by an Alliance proposal, with the local authority claiming it was in the interest of "increased transparency".
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Bringing forward the motion on Wednesday (Feb 12), Lisburn North independent cllr, Gary Hynds said: "The reality is, everyone in this building is and should be accountable to the public.
"Things fall down when transparency is not the default position of a public body, I do recognise the work that does go on here, a lot of it good and indeed open to everyone. However, I would not be truthful myself if I did not say I have been concerned at times since entering this building, especially on matters that could be recognised as more difficult and awkward for the council or those within it, with the public locked out. That does not sit well with me, and I have made that feeling clear previously.
"Discussions and decisions in here, the good, the bad and the ugly should be as open and transparent as possible, that should be the default mindset, not a mindset of locking out the public if it is a more difficult discussion and/or decision to be made, where perhaps accountability is at risk of being lacking."
He added: "Live streaming of all full council and committee meetings should be normal in this day and age, with such recordings then being uploaded within hours of the meeting occurring, to keep the public informed at the time of discussions and decisions, not weeks later.
"Councillors must have the ability to seek clarity and challenge council officers to ensure that exemptions (confidential sessions) are minimised and are not overused.
"Ultimately, transparency is about being 'frank, open, candid'. I want this council to be an exemplar body in terms of transparency and openness, as that is the best way to serve the public."
The motion had been supported by SDLP rep, Pat Catney at an earlier full council meeting before being sent to the corporate committee for debate, where he is not a member.
Deputy Mayor, Ryan Carlin (Sinn Fein) added: "It is a step in the right direction," with a reference to further change as independents and small parties were being kept out of party leader meetings with council officers.
A previous notice of motion agreed in principle in November 2021 was made for webcast recordings of all council and committee meetings to be published on its website. All meetings were then broadcast live online in a direct response to the Covid pandemic.
Currently minutes and audio of committees are put on the LCCC website only after they have been ratified at full council, which at times can be a number of weeks later.
Other Northern Ireland councils such as Belfast City Council broadcast meetings live and archive on its website for the public to watch within two working days.
Downshire West Alliance Alderman, Owen Gawith in support of the motion this week, said: "Alliance's views on keeping this council as open and transparent as possible are well known.
"There is a system in place to reduce the amount of items going into confidential business and to give details of when items will be released for public consumption, this is something Alliance pushed forward, but we believe there's still room for improvement.
"Alliance pushed to have all sessions to be audio recorded right from the outset, going back to 2014/2015.
"Councillors from other parties voiced their concern at that time suggesting it might limit what members felt they could say. Alliance disagreed and currently meetings are audio recorded."
He added: "Several years later it’s time to accept that the public should be freely able to listen and watch our deliberations via live stream and recordings. "If we can say something in a committee or a council meeting, then we should be able to stand over that in public if we are challenged.
"The Alliance group is delighted to see others now coming on board to push forward with openness and transparency, as we have championed this for over 10 years. We will be voting in favour of the motion."
However, minutes from the corporate committee in October 2022, show a council recommendation was proposed by then Alliance Alderman Stephen Martin to cease live streaming of committee meetings. It was seconded by DUP Alderman James Tinsley.
Furthermore, at the same meeting, Alliance Alderman Owen Gawith seconded a council recommendation proposed by UUP cllr Nicholas Trimble, for minutes of meetings to be "simplified" as a "summary" report.
This also meant, according to the motion, that any discussion or members' comments would not be detailed in the minutes unless specifically requested.
Both moves on the records of meetings, ratified at full council, were made for "increased transparency" and to save "£6,455 a year for the assistance of a technician to stream committees online," according to a LCCC report.
The planning committee was to be exempt from these changes, though it was brought into line with the other committees at a later date with the council website now stating "only the full council meeting live streamed".
A separate query was raised on Wednesday (Feb 12) by Downshire West DUP Alderman Allan Ewart on a matter of identifying councillors, officers and other representatives attending meetings remotely online.
The elected member questioned why those connecting online could not be viewed or listed at the same time on screen for those attending physically in chambers.
An officer suggested the assistance of a technician attending all meetings would probably be needed.
The approved transparency motion by all parties on the committee will now go to full council on February 25, when it is expected to be ratified.
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