Future council meetings in Calderdale could be webcast live online.

Councillors will discuss options that range from an annual spend of £20,000 to a cheaper version.

Calderdale is following Kirklees Council which broadcasts all Full Councils, Cabinet and planning meetings live online. They are also archived for people to watch at a later date.

Members of Calderdale’s Governance and Business Committee will discuss the options on Monday in a public meeting.

The option includes installing fixed cameras or a portable system, and improvements to technology in Halifax Town Hall may be needed to host it.

A report for the committee says: “All options will have a financial cost.

“An estimate based on discussions with other authorities would be that a fixed installation would cost in the region of £20,000 per year.

“A portable option would cost approximately £1,000 for hardware, £1,000 for training and trialling, and up to £3,000 a year for a hosting platform, although that could be considerably less depending on usage.

“All of these figures are broad estimates and further work would need to be done to establish more accurate costs.

“In all cases there would be additional staff costs.”

Evidence from neighbouring councils suggests that a webcast of a Full Council meeting will be viewed over time by 100 more people than those attending the meeting in person.

Calderdale describes it as a “powerful engagement tool”.

Kirklees Council has long webcast Full Council and Cabinet meetings, and this year councillors agreed that planning committees could also be webcast.