Right to speak
See information about asking question at a Council / Committee meeting here.
How our meetings are run
Venue
The majority of our meetings are held in Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street, Bedford MK42 9AP in either the Council Chamber or Committee Room 1.
A small number of meetings are held virtually.
The venue for all meetings is clearly stated on the on the table above.
Who can attend Council meetings
Members of the public and press can attend Council meetings unless confidential matters are being discussed. You can attend in person, or some meetings are live streamed.
Live streaming
Since May 2021 in-person meetings have been live streamed so that members of the public and/or press can watch live or watch a recording after the meeting.
From September 2023 only some of our meetings will be livestreamed but all will be recorded to watch afterwards.
Meeting etiquette
Members of the Council must be able to discuss and take decisions without disruption.
Any participation by third parties and members of the public is managed by the Chair and the supporting Senior Democratic Services Officer.
If a member of the press or public wish to raise a question at the meeting, written notice must be given by email To RighttoSpeak@bedford.gov.uk by 6pm on the day of the meeting or at least 30 minutes prior to the start time of the meeting.
For virtual/hybrid meetings the only participants will be Members of the Council, Officers supporting the meeting, a third party presenting an item (if applicable) and a member of the public speaking on an item.
Normal meeting etiquette still applies to remote meetings:
Before a virtual meeting:
- Charge your device in advance of the meeting or ensure you are plugged into a power source.
- Switch off your mobile phone, or turn to silent, to avoid unnecessary interruptions.
- Be aware of your surroundings in the room where you are watching the meeting and try to arrange that you will not be disturbed for the duration of the meeting
- Join the meeting 10 to 15 minutes before the start to ensure you can connect via the Cisco Webex desktop app / Teams.
During a virtual meeting:
- Your microphone will be muted when you arrive in the meeting.
- You can unmute your microphone when the Chair invites you to speak.
- Only one person may speak at any one time.
At the end of a virtual meeting the Chair will close the meeting and a message will appear on your screen to say that the meeting has ended.
Please contact the Democratic Services team via RighttoSpeak@bedford.gov.uk if you have any queries about remote committee meetings.