Public Access to Virtual Meetings

Public Access to Virtual Meetings

Ash Parish Council will use Microsoft Teams to deliver their virtual meetings. These include the Full Council, Amenities, Finance and Administration and Planning Meetings.

All meetings will have a (as in the actual meetings) a specified period for the Public to have their say.

The following is a detailed guide on how Residents can join these meetings.

Guest Access

A link for these meetings will be provided on the Agenda for each individual meeting on the Ash Parish Council website https://www.ashpcsurrey.gov.uk/event-category/meetings/.

When a member of the public clicks on the displayed link they will be taken to the Teams web page where they can choose to continue in the browser or install the app. 

Supported Browsers:

• Miicrosoft Edge – version built into Windows 10;
• The new Microsoft Edge – successor to the above, Chromium based – can be downloaded from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge
• Google Chrome – download from https://www.google.co.uk/chrome/

Team Apps:

The app is currently only available for Windows, MacOS, iOS and Linux.

The option to download the app will be presented within the browser after clicking on the link. Alternatively, it can be downloaded from https://teams.microsoft.com 

This document currently covers Windows using the browser, iOS app (iPhone/iPad) and the Android app. Further operating systems will be added in due course.

Windows 10

Go to https://www.ashpcsurrey.gov.uk/event-category/meetings/.and click on the link for the meeting you wish to attend. This will display the following;

Select the “Continue on this Browser” option.

You will be presented with the choice of allowing the browser access to your camera and microphone. This is not required if you are joust going to listen in to the meeting.

If you block access to the camera and microphone you will need to click on Continue without audio and video.

If you do allow access to the camera and microphone you will be taken to the joining page where you will need to enter your name and then click on Join now.

After clicking the Join Now button you will be placed in a lobby where the organiser has to admit you to the session. After you have been admitted you will see the video feed for the current speaker and up to 8 others. Teams currently has a maximum of 9 visible video streams, and by default will switch to the current speaker.

Android Phones and Tablets

Go to the Google Play Store and download and install Microsoft Teams. Once installed you do NOT need to create a Teams account to join in any Council meeting, you will be joining as a guest.

Go to https://www.ashpcsurrey.gov.uk/event-category/meetings/.and click on the link for the meeting you wish to attend. You will then be prompted to open the meeting in the Teams app. Just click on Join as Guest, enter your name and you will be placed in the lobby where the meeting organiser will admit you. You may need to approve the app to use your microphone.

When you join the meeting your microphone will be muted.

Apple iOS

Go to the Apple App Store and install Microsoft Teams. You do not need to create a Teams Account to join the Council Meetings, you will be joining as a guest

Go to https://www.ashpcsurrey.gov.uk/event-category/meetings/ and click on the link for the meeting you wish to attend. You will then be prompted to open the meeting in the Teams app. Just click on Join as Guest, enter your name, click on Join Meeting and you will be placed in the lobby where the meeting organiser will admit you.

When you join the meeting your microphone will be muted.