Chingford News

Tories slam council for ‘poor’ hearing levels in chamber

Residents and opposition councillors complained they were struggling to hear during a meeting of the climate scrutiny committee last Thursday, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

The council chamber, Inset, Councillor Mitchell Goldie, Credit: Waltham Forest Conservatives

Waltham Forest Council must do more to address accessibility issues in the council chamber, opposition councillors have said.

Concerns were raised after both residents and councillors complained they were struggling to hear during a meeting of the climate scrutiny committee last Thursday (23rd January).

During public meetings, members speak one at a time into microphones that are connected to speakers around the chamber and in the public gallery, which is split over two floors.

Thursday’s meeting was partly about plans to scrap free parking in the borough. The issue attracted dozens of residents from suburban Chingford and both levels of the gallery were full.

Over the course of around an hour, committee members and officers were interrupted several times by residents, who shouted out that they could not hear.

Early on in the meeting, Conservative councillor Mitchell Goldie suggested that residents who said they were having difficulties could sit in the empty seats in the chamber, usually reserved for councillors and officers.

Though people in the upstairs gallery agreed, committee chair Tony Bell said it would not be appropriate.

Cllr Goldie, who uses a hearing aid, said he was struggling to hear an officer speak from his seat in the chamber and “couldn’t even imagine what they can hear upstairs”.

He said the request was “not unreasonable,” adding: “You’re telling people with a disability that they are unable to hear an officer and you are comfortable with that?”

Cllr Bell said the committee should “move on,” after letting around seven residents move downstairs, and told Cllr Goldie he was being “quite distracting”.

A spokesperson for the Labour-run council later clarified this decision was taken to “prevent further disruption” and to “ensure everyone’s safety”.

He said: “The chair took all the actions available to them to improve the situation, including asking attendees to be quiet as officers spoke, asking those in the upper gallery to move to the lower gallery, and adjusting the volume settings on the audio equipment.

“A request to allow members of the public sat in the galleries down onto the chamber floor was refused to prevent further disruption and to ensure the safety of councillors, officers, and residents.”

The council spokesperson added that Waltham Forest is “looking at how to increase” the amplification of the sound system in the upper and lower chamber galleries.

Some attendees jeered at the committee for defending the plan to remove the currently allocated 15 minutes free parking in pay-to-park bays. Residents and business owners say they rely on their cars, despite the council’s push towards ‘active travel’.

They were asked repeatedly not to shout out by Cllr Bell during the course of the meeting.

The council spokesperson added: “Interjections from the public galleries, including booing and hissing, added to these problems.”

The Tories have now requested the council reviews its audio systems “to ensure they are fit for purpose, particularly for individuals with hearing impairments,” as well as installing an updated hearing loop system.
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Hearing loops send audio directly into a hearing aid or cochlear implant and cut out background noise, helping people hear more clearly.

There are currently two covering the chamber and galleries. Each one is checked ahead of every meeting, the council says.

In a letter to chief executive Linzi Roberts-Egan, four Conservative councillors – including deputy group leader Afzal Akram – said the town hall should “lead by example” and “address these concerns as a priority”.

They said the authority should also provide training for staff and councillors to ensure accessibility is “handled respectfully and in accordance with equalities legislation”.

The council will be organising an equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) refresher within the next three months. The most recent training session was in 2023.

A final decision on the controversial proposals to cut free parking will be made next Tuesday (4th February).

The meeting will be held behind closed doors, though the town hall will publish its decision that week. It is expected to approve the programme, following recommendations from councillors.

If the scheme is formally signed off, it will come into effect on 1st April.


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