Approximately two thirds of the consultation staff who attend the Institute’s training courses profess to a loathing of public meetings. They are not alone. Councillors, Chief Officers and a range of consultancies feel even more strongly about it.

Unlike “meetings held in public” – an effective and transparent development with few detractors – “public meetings” are an attempt to engage an entire community, often as a token safety-net; a catch-all event that can be advertised in a way that prevents anyone from claiming that they were denied an opportunity to state their views.

The problems are well-known, and many people have their own anecdotes. Unexpected arrivals; disruptive or aggressive participants; poor chairmanship; condescending presenters; lack of focus by presenters; hopeless feedback by everyone….and so on.