Pembrokeshire Coast National Park will decide this week whether to hold virtual meetings using its existing video conferencing software and if the public can watch.

Welsh Government legislation temporarily allowing remote meetings to take place came into force on April 22 and the National Park will discuss its plans at an authority meeting on Wednesday (May 6).

This meeting will not be accessible to the public, but members are recommended to approve that future meetings be open to those interested via live streaming.

The agenda report recommendations also include continuing public participation in development management committees.

The National Park already has a system in place called ‘Lifesize’ and officers have held several internal meetings on this platform since the Covid-19 lockdown, the meeting report adds.

Small groups of authority members have also held meetings to become familiar with the software with a general willingness to participate in virtual meetings noted.

If approved, the virtual meetings would reduce travel expenses, and the authority’s carbon footprint, the report notes, while live streaming “would provide members of the public with easier access to meetings of the Authority while minimising the need to travel and allowing more flexible viewing times.”