PEOPLE are being asked for their views on whether council meetings in County Durham should be available to watch online.

Durham County Council is running a public consultation on whether to broadcast some of its meetings so they would be available for any interested residents to watch live on the internet.

Last July councillors approved a motion that its constitution working group should consider the feasibility of videoing all full council meetings, which are held monthly at its headquarters at County Hall, in Durham, and making them available for the public to view.

Members of the council voted unanimously in favour of the motion put forward by Cllr Joy Allen, which was an amended version of one put forward by Spennymoor Independent Cllr Kevin Thompson, who had called for the local authority to start filming all full council meetings straight away.

People are now being asked to give their views on whether they would watch meetings if they were available online and if so, how they should be available.

In 2014 new laws were brought in to allow people to film council meetings, aimed at improving transparency in local government, however there is no legal requirement for authorities to publish such videos itself.

The authority has around 35 committees and holds upwards of 25 meetings every month, the majority of which take place in Durham city.

The consultation runs until Wednesday, March 7.

People can respond by visiting www.durham.gov.uk/consultations.