Aberdeenshire Council is to start showing its meetings online for the first time next month as part of efforts to get more people involved.
Cameras will beam the proceedings of the full council meeting on November 24 to computers, tablets and phones across the area.
The authority hopes the trial will prove sufficiently popular with residents to expand it to include many other meetings.
Plans were submitted this week to install three cameras at Banff courthouse and county hall.
They will be used to livestream the Banff and Buchan area committee, which is among those due to take part in the pilot scheme.
Ritchie Johnson, the council’s director of business services, said: “Webcasting can have real benefits, including opening up the democratic process and increasing transparency, as well as improving engagement and promoting equality.
“It is also known to break down geographic barriers that can sometimes prevent communities engaging with the work of councils.
“The pilot is currently planned to begin with the webcasting of our full council meeting in November and then be rolled out to a small number of area and policy committees.
“A decision on the next steps will be taken when the pilot is complete in 2017.”
