Council meetings to go online

People around the world could soon be able to listen to Orkney Islands Council meetings via the internet, if trials prove to be a success.

Councillors at the policy and resources committee, which met yesterday, Tuesday, were given an update on the plans by the authority to audiocast committee meetings over the internet.

Head of IT and support services at the OIC, Dawn Sherwood, told councillors that it was planned for trials to take place in the near future, including an audio feed of the Full Council meeting next month, which will be heard internally at the OIC, as part of the trial.

Following a period of training by councillors in using the new technology, if successful, the audio feeds from the council chamber could go live in the new year, beginning at the next round of committee meetings, towards the end of January.

Councillor Alistair Gordon, speaking on behalf of the Orkney Manifesto Group, said that he very much welcomed the move, but regretted that the council had not gone the “whole hog” with video-casting of meetings.