Council backs call to move meetings to evenings
BBCA council's committee meetings can shift from day to evening slots so more people can attend.
Redcar and Cleveland's Curt Pugh has gained cross-party support for his motion to move some from weekday working hours to 18:00 or later, which would make life easier for parents and members who work.
Although approved, his motion was opposed by some independent councillors living in rural areas who expressed safety concerns about travel on dark, wintry nights.
Pugh, Conservative, who represents the Normanby ward, said the move was a "step in the right direction" as current meeting times were a "barrier to participation".
The motion won broad support from other groups with a substantial majority of councillors voting in favour of the change.
Pugh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the Labour-led local authority should also "seriously consider" live streaming meetings.
He said only the authority's monthly, full council gatherings were uploaded to YouTube, but this was not enough "online representation".
"The purpose of the motion was to try and encourage more people to get involved in local democracy," he said.
"Whether that's enabling more working people to stand for the council, or trying to encourage more participation from the public.
"I'm glad this didn't become a political issue and was pleased to receive support from all corners of the chamber."
It means each council committee - of which there are several - will now have to discuss what time of day they meet, bearing in mind the recommendation.
The motion also said the council's monitoring officer and officers from democratic services should provide "any logistical or legal advice required to facilitate more inclusive scheduling".