You are able to attend council and committee meetings as a member of the public. It can be a good way to understand how councils make decisions.
Although the meetings are held in public, parts of the meeting may be held in private when confidential information is being discussed.
We also broadcast some of our meetings live on our democracy website, as well as on our YouTube channel.
View an upcoming or past meeting on our:
- democracy website - you can also view the agenda for upcoming meetings, and minutes and reports from past meetings
- YouTube channel
How to attend council and committee meetings
There is a space set aside in every meeting for journalists and members of the public. You don't have to let us know in advance if you plan to attend.
You can view the details for each council and committee meeting on our calendar, including the:
- location
- contact for the meeting
- agenda
Questions, petitions and statements during meetings
If you live or work within Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole, you can:
- ask a question
- raise a petition
- make a statement
The protocol and rules are detailed within our constitution under Appendix 4.