Nearly 250 residents have signed a petition asking for Teignmouth Town Council to live-stream its meetings.

The petition, created by local man Edd Winsborrow, will be presented at the full Teignmouth Council meeting on Tuesday (October 14).

Edd said he believes the reason so many people are ‘disenfranchised with local democracy is because they perceive it as being conducted behind closed doors’.

By opening meetings to people who may not be able to physically attend due to disabilities, work commitments or childcare responsibilities, Edd hopes that town council decisions will seem less mysterious to the community it serves.

‘It's not just about making meetings accessible; it's about empowering residents to engage actively with their local government,’ he said. ‘When people feel truly informed and confident that they have insight into the decision-making process, trust in our governing institutions improves. This trust translates into higher civic engagement rates, as residents will feel more motivated to participate, voice their opinions, and contribute to the community growth positively,’ he added.

Teignmouth Town Council live-streamed its council meetings during the Covid lockdown. The meetings were made available on the council’s YouTube channel, which was last updated in January 2022.

Earlier this year a town council spokesperson said that the council hoped to resume live-streaming of its meetings. However, despite investing in a new big screen, concrete plans have yet to be announced.

It is understood that the town council wants to pilot the live-streaming through some of its committee meetings to ensure any technical issues are ironed out before committing to resuming a full live-streaming schedule.

The next Teignmouth Town Council meeting starts at 6pm on Tuesday October 14 at Bitton House. Items on the agenda include an update on the newly formed youth council and a decision on whether or not to support the permanent opening of the Upper Den Carriageway, based on the results of the recent survey.