WESTBURY Town Council issued a public apology after its first face-to-face meeting since they went virtual last year failed to go live, leaving members of the press and public attempting to tune in online, unable to see or hear anything.
Forty-five items were listed on the agenda for the annual town meeting on Monday 17th May, including the election of the new town mayor and deputy mayor, a discussion on how vacant seats on the council would be filled after former members stood down before the elections, and grant applications for community groups.
The meeting was scheduled to run for three hours – from 7pm to 10pm.
In a public apology afterwards the town council said, “Dear Residents, Unfortunately the live stream of the town council meeting that took place on Monday 17th May 2021, was not available for the public to see and hear. This was caused by a failure to make the meeting live. We sincerely apologise for this error and assure you this will not happen in the future.
“In the meantime, we will prioritise the minutes and have these available on the website for your information as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
“We did have several members of the public join us and it was lovely to see familiar faces inside The Laverton again.”
Since May 7th, when emergency regulations introduced in the early stages of lockdown expired, meetings held by local authorities in England under the Local Government Act 1972 must take place in person, with social distancing measures in place.
Members of the public are encouraged to watch via live stream because no more than two members of the press and five members of the public are allowed in the meeting room. To find out dates of meetings and agendas and minutes, go to www.westburytowncouncil.gov.uk
