Rutland County Council Chamber Live Streams Paused for Critical IT Upgrades

Rutland County Council Chamber Live Streams Paused for Critical IT Upgrades
By Rutland Democracy Reporter

Residents hoping to tune into the latest debates at Catmose will find the screens blank for the next few weeks. Rutland County Council has announced a temporary suspension of all live meeting broadcasts while it undergoes a major overhaul of the Council Chamber’s technology.

The move comes after a string of technical glitches that have plagued recent sessions. Intermittent audio "drop-outs" and poor sound quality particularly during daytime meetings have made following proceedings difficult for those watching from home.

Council officials believe the root of the problem lies in the Chamber’s internal Wi-Fi signal. Work is now underway to strengthen the network and ensure that the "patchy" connectivity that has disrupted live feeds is permanently resolved.

The upgrades are part of a broader push toward digital modernisation. The council's latest budget plans for 2026/27 include £0.4 million dedicated to Digital & Governance, covering cyber security, customer relationship management, and business intelligence expansion. Improving the reliability of democratic access is seen as a key component of this investment as the council prepares for the transition toward Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

While the live feeds are down, the council has stressed that democracy is not being conducted behind closed doors:

• Public Access: All meetings remain open for the public to attend in person at the Council Chamber.

• Catch-up Viewing: Video recordings of meetings will continue to be uploaded to the council’s website the following day, provided the audio quality meets broadcast standards.

• Written Records: Official minutes will be published within the standard ten-working-day window.

The "digital blackout" is expected to last until the end of March 2026. Once the hardware and network improvements are verified, live streaming will resume.

This technical refresh arrives at a "pivotal" time for Rutland. With the council entering its penultimate year before the planned move to a new unitary authority on 1 April 2028, maintaining clear and accessible governance is a priority.

Council leaders have committed to providing further updates should the upgrade timetable shift. For now, Rutland’s armchair politicians will have to wait for the "next day" upload to see their representatives in action.