Virtual and hybrid council meetings should be an integral part of
the future of local democracy, councils say today – a year on
since the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
call for evidence for remote meetings closed.
The Local Government Association, which represents councils in
England and Wales is urging the Government to finally address the
future of remote and hybrid council meetings.
With national lockdown and COVID-19 safety measures preventing
groups of people from meeting, the Government introduced remote
meetings in April 2020 under emergency legislation to enable
councils to make critical decisions democratically and without
delay during the pandemic.
The introduction of legislation proved successful, with councils
highlighting an increase in participation from both elected
members and residents due to better equity of access and an
increase in the transparency of decision-making
processes.
However, the Government has rejected calls from councils to make
the rules permanent and councils were forced to return to
in-person meetings, resulting in increased costs on already
stretched council budgets and reduced participation from
councillors and the public.
While the Government acknowledged concerns with the launch of the
call for evidence, it has failed to release the results or set
out a plan to take the issue forwards, leaving councils uncertain
and unable to plan effectively for the future of their
organisations, despite much of its workforce successfully having
adapted to a virtual and hybrid working patterns.
As a result, councils want the flexibility to offer hybrid and
virtual meetings so they can continue to work in the most
accessible and resilient way possible, especially in times of
emergency such as when there is adverse weather or
flooding.
Flexibility is also vital in attracting a wider range of people
to stand as candidates in local elections, with recent research
highlighting that 72 per cent of councillors surveyed in a new
poll stating that moving to a hybrid model could attract more
younger people, ethnic minorities, and women to stand in local
elections.
Virtual and hybrid meetings also better support the attendance of
councillors with disabilities or chronic illnesses and enable
councillors with caring responsibilities to balance their role
and personal lives.
LGA Chairman, Cllr James Jamieson, said:
“It has been a year since the Government’s call for evidence
around remote and hybrid meetings, but it has yet to publish the
results or take any steps to address this issue, which is a
priority for councils up and down the country.
“The pandemic proved that using virtual meeting options can help
councils work more effectively and efficiently and can in fact
increase engagement from both councillors and residents, which is
a vital part of local democracy.
“We urge the Government to act quickly and take the next steps to
introduce legislation that would empower local authorities to
make the most suitable choice for their organisation and
communities and bring them in-step with the residents'
expectations of organisations that provide local services in the
21st century.”
Notes To Editors
- Hybrid meeting – a mixture of participants attending in
person in a specified location while others join virtually
through an online meeting platform.
-
LGA research report into
the impacts of returning to in-person meetings
-
LGA Response to Call for
Evidence
