Onchan Commissioners to consider streaming public meetings online

The equipment to stream the public meetings could cost about £4,000

A local authority in the east of the Isle of Man has agreed to explore streaming its public meetings online in a bid to hear a wider range of views.

Four of the five members of Onchan Commissioners voted for the move.

Supporting the idea, Fenella Logan said it was "hard" for people attend the meetings, but Derek Crellin raised concerns on how recordings may be used.

The meeting heard the equipment needed to broadcast the meeting live could cost about £4,000.

Commissioner David Quirk told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he suggested streaming meetings online as he believed "lots of people" were "quite keen to see what goes on in here".

He said it could be another way of interacting with residents about village issues "if we can't get people to come to the building".

Only two members of the public attended Monday's meeting.

During discussions Mr Crellin said he was worried people may record business on home equipment and use it to "change our image".

But fellow commissioner Ms Logan said she believed streaming meetings to a wider audience was "the direction we should be heading in".

Currently Ramsey Commissioners is the only local authority on the island that streams its meetings via social media.