A PLAN to spend £223,000 on equipment to broadcast Hampshire County Council meetings online has been labelled an “expensive vanity project”.

Councillor Brian Gurden, who represents Basingstoke South East on the county council, made the accusation after learning about the ruling Conservative administration’s plans for a new webcasting system in the council chamber and committee rooms in Winchester.

Conservative Cabinet members and council leader Cllr Ken Thornber say the plan, which would involve the sum being spent over five years, will make local Government “more transparent”.

However, Cllr Gurden, a Liberal Democrat, said: “Book borrowers, bus users and all others facing services axed by Hampshire Conservatives will be as shocked and distressed as I am at this conceited project, just to hear and see Ken Thornber and his team.

“We want transparent and open Government. But considering that a reporter was chucked out of the council chamber in February for daring to bring a camera into the room, there seems to be double-standards applying here.

“If the BBC, ITV or any national or local newspapers want to report our proceedings, they should be made welcome, but we don’t need to spend taxpayers’ money doing this.”

The county council’s “building land and procurement panel” is looking at the proposals, with Cllr Thornber insisting no decision has been made.

He said: “The Grade II listed chamber cannot accommodate large numbers of people in the public gallery and its current analogue system is reaching the end of its useful life.”

He added: “Televising the proceedings of the county council brings us into line with other councils, including Basingstoke and Deane, who have had a similar system for a number of years now.”