Mystery remains over ‘zero tolerance’ for Kingdom tickets as request to view webcast archive unanswered

Last month a question was raised over who and when the ‘zero tolerance’ policy of Kingdom litter ticketing was decided, and our request to review a meeting referenced has gone unanswered.

In 2014 Wrexham Council introduced webcasting of meetings, meaning a live stream of some meetings is broadcast from the Guildhall and then replayable online for up to six months. At that point public access to the footage is blocked.

Wrexham Council is clear on the status of meeting minutes with regards to webcasts and that: “Webcasting does not replace the formal record of decisions made. The only formal record of decisions of a Local Authority is its minutes and agendas which are required to be maintained and retained for a number of years.”

When the system was first brought in it was noted that webcasts “… will also provide an extra record of debates which the Council minutes cannot and are not intended to provide.”

Having sat in several meetings regarding the concept of the webcasting we understand the system as complementing having apparently reduced minuting and providing a point of reference for both members of the public and councillors themselves. The latter being something that lead councillors themselves have referenced, with it becoming common for ‘check the webcast’ being used as a retort in the more fruity exchanges over who said what and when.

Clr Dixon asking about public access to archives, asks for costs for permanent access. Currently 6mth access – Clrs agree that period is too short, noted that minutes were made shorter as webcast was to be archive.

— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) March 8, 2018

In a meeting last month Cllr David A Bithell Bithell pointed back to comments in a historic Executive Board meeting where the ‘zero tolerance’ on Kingdom’s fixed penalty notices was apparently stated. That is not possible on the public documents, and a request made during that meeting to view the archived webcast remains unanswered.

Further to the comment earlier from Clr Bithell about it being clear ‘zero tolerance’ was specific mention when initial report was brought to the Exec Board – think this is the report, zero mentions of er, zero https://t.co/yqBBJ6SaoH Might have been verbal in debate?

— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) April 11, 2018

Clr Harper says shes had a ‘quick look’ at Exec Board from 2015 and wants to know where Zero Tolerace came into the process. Clr Bithell says ‘it has been quite clear all along’. Clr Harper points out ‘there is no reference’. Officer asks ‘if it is relevant’, chorus of ‘it is’!

— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) April 11, 2018

At the time of writing the public webcast archive only goes back to mid November, so we are unable to ‘fact check’ the precise discussions referenced from the meeting in 2015. We have requested access to view archive footage and have yet to receive a reply. We will update as and when we get one.

Our report from the 2015 meeting can be found here.

Decisions on further webcasting of meetings and possibilities of extending public access to archives is likely later this year.