Okehampton Town Council will not livestream committee meetings after councillors argued that it could stifle free speech in a meeting last week (January 30).

At the meeting several councillors raised concerns that the act of livestreaming the committee meetings, during which many policies are discussed in depth, could dissuade some from raising opinions in fear of their thoughts being public.

Town councillor Jan Goffey, said: ‘The committees are our working meetings when we are free to say our opinions and I think livestreaming them could have the effect of stifling free speech. I think people would feel a little intimidated at perhaps being open with their views. The public are welcome to attend but that’s a little different to selling it out to all and sundry.’

However, Cllr Julie Yelland argued otherwise.

She said: ‘I think it’s very important to livestream. We should be open and transparent and we should not be saying anything we would not be prepared to say in the public domain. In some ways it might help people learn how they speak. I think it’s very important and if we have the means and the capacity to do it we should livestream all public meetings.’

Following the discussion, councillors agreed that committee meetings would not bee livestreamed with only two against the proposal and one abstention.

Full council meetings will still be livestreamed on the council’s Facebook page and members of the public are welcome to attend council committee meetings in person at the town hall.