The crackle and static are not coming from the recording: they are coming from the council’s own sound system. I am particularly interested in what readers think of this system, which I am given to believe was installed by Serco.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Hats off to Chris York, championing transparency and political accountability.  I think it is a tribute to Peterborough’s politicians and politicians elsewhere too, not just the elected councillors that making recordings of debates like this has become possible. As far as I am aware it was always legal, but people have been being slung out of public galleries over the past couple of years for recording events.

Faced with so many challenges, eventually Westminster was forced to make a ruling and councils now have no choice but to give permission. This is the first council meeting I have attended where there was no prohibition notice on the seats in the “Spectators Gallery”.

This shows how some of the best interactions happen behind the scenes and outside the chamber.  And some require the sort of skills and technical know how which might not be present in the chamber itself.  Well done Chris York.