RESIDENTS of Andover will once again be able to tune into full town council meetings remotely, after councillors voted to set up a working group to reinstate audio streaming and recording.

At a meeting of Andover Town Council on Wednesday (August 8), a motion was put forward by Cllr David Coole, and seconded by Cllr Rebecca Meyer, which suggested that a group be set up to find a “satisfactory” new way to steam full council meetings.

Cllr Coole said: "The service we did provide was not fit for purpose. So we no longer provide it, because why provide a service that doesn't work."

He explained that, given the back to basics rules, the officers cannot take this on, so a working group would be needed if this was to be reintroduced.

However, not all councillors were on board.

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Cllr Christopher Ecclestone argued that recordings are a "waste of time" which only remind us of the pandemic.

"If people want to come and hear the town council, they need to turn up,” he said.

"We have terminated it. Good riddance, goodbye."

On the other side, Cllr Rowles was entirely in favour of buying the necessary equipment, but suggested a motion to that point rather than another working group.

He said: "People who are housebound, people who are disabled, people who have got children and need to look after their kids. It's open, it's transparent and it's totally what democracy should be about."

Members then voted on setting up the working group, which was approved.