WORCESTER City Council has agreed to consider video and audio webcasting its meetings in a bid to further enhance 'transparency' and 'accountability'.

During the full council meeting on Wednesday, July 26, at Worcester’s Guildhall councillors unanimously voted in favour of the motion put forward by Conservative councillor Alan Feeney (Warndon Parish North ward).

The motion read: "This council mandates officers to investigate the options for providing audio and video webcasting at council meetings and to present an options report in time for the next full council meeting, at which time a final decision will be taken based on the findings.

"This is in order to further enhance transparency, accountability and to aid the public in observing their elected officials working for them."

Cllr Feeney said: "This would give the public a chance to engage with democracy in a way that they are not able to at the moment.

"This is way the world is going and I hope members are forward thinking enough to support this motion."

Cllr Feeney added that this would help those unable to get out of the house and that he hoped this could later be extended to include committee meetings as well.

But Labour councillor Jo Hodges (Wardon ward), chairman of the standards committee, said: "Members of the public can take a small part of the meeting and broadcast it on social media and pick up the wrong end of the stick."

She also pointed at that there could be "legal" issues as a result of webcasting meetings and urged the council to put the matter to policy and resource committee but the motion was carried.

The item will now go forward to the next full council meeting on Tuesday, November 21.