Residents will be able to watch Worcester City Council meetings from the comfort of their own homes from next week, as council and committee meetings are streamed live on YouTube for the first time.

The city council says the aim of the initiative is to make the business of the council more ‘public and accessible’ than ever before, by enabling people to watch council business at www.youtube.com/worcestercitycouncil.

David Blake, Worcester City Council Managing Director, said: “The City Council is a public body spending public money, so it is important that we take this further step to make our meetings more visible and accessible than ever before. Residents will be able to witness the cut and thrust of political debate, and see for themselves how decisions are made over the services that are provided to them and the city.”

The first meeting to be streamed in this way will be the Annual Council on Tuesday, May 18 at 7pm.

This will be the first meeting of the new-look Council following the recent elections and will include the election of the new Mayor and Deputy Mayor.