Enabling Secure Hybrid Council Meetings for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is a unitary local authority serving approximately 200,000 residents across six towns. In 2024, the Council relocated to its new offices at Dunedin House and engaged Cinos to deliver a series of audio visual and collaboration solutions across the workplace environment.

The initial phase focused on deploying Yealink Microsoft Teams Rooms throughout the Council’s meeting spaces, alongside a site-wide Appspace digital signage solution. Following the successful completion, attention turned to the council chamber — the final and most complex space requiring modernisation.

The council chamber is used to host formal council meetings where key decisions relating to local policy, public services, budgets and community matters are debated and approved. The space accommodates 56 delegate positions for elected councillors, alongside dedicated seating for the chairperson, panel members and the public.

Recent changes in legislation supporting remote attendance at local authority meetings have created new opportunities for hybrid participation, while introducing additional governance and compliance considerations for councils. To take advantage of this, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council needed to modernise the chamber to enable secure hybrid participation without compromising the integrity of formal democratic proceedings.

Traditional video conferencing platforms alone could not meet this requirement. While capable of connecting remote participants, they lack the robust, auditable voting functionality that formal council meetings demand under local government regulations.

The Bosch DICENTIS Conference System was selected as the core platform for the council chamber, supporting secure hybrid meetings, formal voting and the wider governance requirements of a modern local authority environment. Combining the DICENTIS software suite with wireless discussion devices, the system delivers a flexible and scalable conferencing environment purpose-built for democratic proceedings.

From the DICENTIS server, authorised council staff have full control over session configuration in advance — managing attendee access, agenda items and voting topics. Once scheduled, secure browser-based invitations are issued to remote participants, allowing councillors to securely join sessions from any location while maintaining a controlled and fully auditable meeting environment.

Within the chamber, 28 DICENTIS wireless discussion devices were deployed on a one-between-two seating arrangement across the councillor positions, with dedicated units provided for the top table, chairperson and lectern positions. Each device features an integrated microphone, speaker, touchscreen voting interface and push-to-talk functionality, supporting clear participation and formal voting throughout proceedings.

This functionality is mirrored for remote councillors through the DICENTIS web interface, delivering a consistent experience regardless of attendance method. Authentication is handled through secure credentials entered at both the physical device and web interface, so all participation and voting activity is accurately attributed to the relevant councillor.

Audio from all devices is processed through the DICENTIS platform, allowing councillors in the chamber to hear proceedings clearly through the integrated speakers in each device. The same feeds are securely streamed to remote participants, maintaining consistent audio quality regardless of how councillors are attending.

For those present in the public gallery, Cinos integrated the Biamp TesiraFORTE digital signal processor alongside dedicated amplification and ceiling speakers, delivering clear and evenly distributed audio coverage throughout the space. Accessibility was further supported through the inclusion of an Ampetronic hearing loop system, enabling attendees using compatible hearing devices to follow proceedings clearly and helping chamber sessions remain inclusive for all.

Two Lumens IP-based PTZ cameras were positioned within the chamber to cover both the top table and the main councillor seating area. Connected directly with the DICENTIS platform, the cameras automatically track active speakers, with live video feeds streamed to remote participants and shown on two 85″ Samsung displays within the chamber. An additional display with an integrated soundbar was also installed in the reception area, allowing visitors and staff to follow live sessions from outside the chamber.

To enable flexible content sharing, the Barco ClickShare CX-50 was added to the solution, allowing the chairperson and panel members to wirelessly share presentations, reports and voting results. Content is distributed through the DICENTIS platform and shown across the chamber and reception displays, with remote participants able to view the same material simultaneously. Remote attendees can also share content through the DICENTIS web interface, with presentations fed directly to the chamber displays so all participants maintain visibility of the same information.

For public access to council proceedings, Cinos deployed a Yealink MCore Kit MTR system to deliver a managed viewing experience through the town hall feature in Microsoft Teams. A mixed audio and video feed was routed into the town hall session, generating a publicly shareable viewing link for citizens and members of the press. Public attendees can observe sessions remotely in a view-only capacity, without the ability to speak, vote or disrupt proceedings, while moderation controls within Teams ensure the Council retains full control over the broadcast experience.

The solution was underpinned by NETGEAR AV-Line AV-over-IP switching technology, providing the secure and resilient network foundation for the distribution of audio, video and data streams across the chamber environment.

The DICENTIS solution enables Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council to conduct secure hybrid meetings, allowing councillors to participate fully whether attending in person or remotely. Through authenticated access and integrated voting functionality, the platform supports formal democratic decision making in line with evolving legislation and the growing shift towards hybrid working practices across local government.

Using Yealink and Microsoft Teams, the Council can provide secure public access to chamber proceedings for citizens and members of the press. Sessions can be observed remotely through a managed viewing experience, with controls in place to prevent unauthorised participation, voting or disruption — maintaining the transparency of council proceedings without compromising the integrity of formal sessions.

The integration of an Ampetronic hearing loop system helps ensure chamber proceedings remain accessible to all attendees, including those using compatible hearing devices. Combined with the devices’ integrated speakers and the Biamp-powered audio distribution throughout the public gallery, in-room councillors, remote participants and members of the public can all follow proceedings clearly — supporting the Council’s commitment to inclusive and open democratic engagement.

Building on an established relationship formed during the Council’s wider relocation project, Cinos delivered a fully integrated chamber solution tailored to the operational and governance requirements of local government. Designed to scale as needs evolve, the solution can accommodate additional devices and capabilities without significant re-investment. Backed by an ongoing support and maintenance agreement, the Council benefits from continued technical expertise and long-term peace of mind for its critical meeting environment.

Standards Version 3 incorporates multiple layers of protection to safeguard both physical and digital assets. The single-cable connection ensures no residual data remains once a meeting ends. Combined with secure network protocols and a clear desk approach, the solution helps maintain confidentiality and reduces risk across all spaces.