Issue - meetings

Request for a Dispensation for 20 Councillors

Meeting: 16/09/2021 - South Somerset District Council (Item 54)

54 Request for a General Dispensation for Councillors Attending Remote Meetings PDF 274 KB

Decision:

RESOLVED:

That Full Council approved a general dispensation under section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972 for any member of Council who, although not physically attending any in-person meetings over any six-month period, attends at least 75% of the meetings they would normally be expected to attend in person on-line; this dispensation to last until 31 January 2022 and be reviewed as part of any review of the Council’s remote consultative meeting and delegation arrangements.

Reason:

To ensure the Council’s decision to continue with remote consultative meetings does not cause any member attending meetings remotely to automatically cease to be a member under section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972.

(Voting: unanimous in favour)

Minutes:

The Leader of Council advised that Members were asked to approve a general dispensation under section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972. This would allow any Member who had not attended an in person meeting to continue to be a District Councillor. She asked that Members agree to attend at least 75% of the meetings they would normally be expected to attend in person on-line

In response to a question, the Monitoring Officer advised that the proposed 75% on-line attendance was a reasonable expectation and compromise when Members could attend 100% of their meetings.

During discussion the following points were made:-

· Any Councillor dropping below the 75% attendance could request a dispensation in the normal manner.

· The proposed 75% on-line attendance was not in the spirit of the 1972 Act.

· Councillors were only required to attend one meeting in person every six months so why not the same for on-line attendance?

· Further work was required on a remote or hybrid meeting protocol.

· The majority of Members regularly attended their council meetings.

· Group Leaders should seek to address low attendance by their Members.

· The list of qualifying meetings were listed at point 5 of the report.

· It was unusual to change the terms of a Councillors attendance part way through their term of office.

· It would be simpler to apply the Local Government Act 1972.

· All public council meetings would qualify as attendance.

At the conclusion of the debate, the recommendations were proposed and seconded and when put to the vote, the majority of Members were in favour.