Forum raises concerns over transparency after RBWM decision to stop live streaming its meetings

Members of a disability and inclusion forum have raised concerns over transparency and accessibility following the Royal Borough’s decision to no longer live-stream the meeting.

The council streams most of its public meetings live on YouTube, but the disability and inclusion forum will now have its meetings recorded and shared afterwards.

At its first meeting since the change was introduced – taking place at Maidenhead Town Hall on Monday – the forum’s chair, Lizzie Jones, said there was no discussion beforehand around how this decision would affect residents.

She said sound was a ‘massive issue’, with members attending online and in person struggling to hear the discussion.

Councillor Catherine del Campo (Lib Dem, Furze Platt) recognised that the Town Hall’s chamber has ‘terrible sound’ and suggested microphones could be used.

The meeting heard that access to microphones was not an option offered to the forum, but it would be something members would look into for future meetings.

Before the meeting, Ms Jones told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she was ‘pretty unhappy’ about the changes.

She said: “The impact that this has on disabled people is, of course, larger because of accessibility. But in reality, it has affected the transparency of everything at the council.

“[The council] is not statutorily required to have this forum meet, but they are statutorily required to allow disabled people to partake in this kind of forum and civic life on an equal footing.

“There is a great deal of depth and breadth of lived experience that is just waiting for the council to be able to communicate, for us to communicate, how the borough can be bettered for them.”

Some of the forum’s attendees have sight impairments, autism or are wheelchair users, she added.

But at Monday’s meeting, Ms Jones said that, at the moment, it does not feel like the forum members have access to civic life ‘on a level playing field’.

Ms Jones said: “It’s not that we’re not listened to, it’s that we’re not owed enough in that sort of relationship. We’re almost an afterthought.

“I do really think it’s one of the things that both parties need to work better at.”

One suggestion from Cllr Del Campo was that the forum follow the council’s cabinet forward plan.

Ms Jones agreed that this would help the forum talk to residents earlier and get better access to what the council will be making decisions on.

Kirsty Northam, the forum’s vice chair, said: “We were really disappointed not to be included in any decisions, especially the SEND school. That decision has obviously affected many families, including my own.”

Last month, councillors decided to withdraw from a Government scheme for a new Windsor special educational needs school after learning the school would be significantly delayed.

Ms Northam asked that the forum be included in such decisions in the future.

Addressing accessibility concerns, a Royal Borough spokesperson told the LDRS all non-statutory forum meetings will still be recorded and shared online – but not live-streamed.

The spokesperson said: “We’re committed to ensuring the disability and inclusion forum remains accessible, transparent and focused on the issues that matter to residents.