Video first for Littlehampton council keeps Mike connected

LITTLEHAMPTON Town Council has made a little bit of history by looking to the future.

Town councillor Mike Northeast used new technology to join in a discussion with other members of the council – even though he was more than a mile away.

He has been unable to attend meetings for the past couple of months after undergoing hip replacement surgery and then suffering two setbacks which are delaying his recovery.

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But Mike, who is Ham ward councillor on both the town and Arun District councils, was once more able to take part in civic life thanks to the wonders of the internet – the first time the town council has taken advantage of video-conferencing.

Web cameras were set up at his home in Wick and in a room at the town council’s Manor House offices in Church Street, communicating with each other using Skype software, so that Mike could see most of the councillors taking part in the discussion, and they could see him on a large screen.

Fittingly, the discussion by a working group of councillors was on the subject of how the council communicates with residents and how it could reach even more people by using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

“I was fed up with not being able to attend all these meetings that were going on,” said Mike. “It was all very well that I kept getting the paperwork from the council, but if you can’t do anything with it, it makes you feel useless.

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“The town clerk agreed to a trial using Skype, and it worked very well.

“I could see the other councillors and they could see me. When I wanted to speak I raised my hand and the chairman involved me in the discussion.

“I still want to be involved – I’m still dealing with my constituents’ problems by email and talking with officers over the phone.

“Who knows, in future we might be able to use Skype in future to communicate with the people we represent, so perhaps they can take part in a question time over the internet, or watch a meeting. If the technology is there, we ought to be embracing it and using it.”

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Town councillor Marian Ayres, chairman of the communications review sub-committee, agreed the trial had gone very well.

“Mike has been on the council a long time, so it’s right that he had his say in the discussion.

“I suggested it to the town clerk and he said that, although the law prevents anyone who was not present from taking part in a meeting at which decisions were taken, they could take part in a discussion like the one we had,” said Marian.

Town council officer Sofia Chittenden set up the equipment at the Manor House and Mike was helped by his son Joe, 15, to link up an iPad, computer and television screen at home.