Agenda item

(Voting: 32 in favour, 5 against, 0 abstentions)

The Leader of Council reminded Members that they had agreed to continue to hold council meetings remotely up to 31 July 2021 with appropriate delegated powers at their Full Council meeting on 15 April 2021 and it was now time to review that decision.  She noted part 3 of the Constitution outlined the various delegations to officers and she asked that Council make a proposal on holding meetings in the future. 

The Monitoring Officer reminded Members that those attending meetings remotely would not be able to vote on any item of business until the Government changed the law on this point.  She also noted that technology would be installed in the Council Chamber to enable future meetings to be streamed on the internet to reach a wide public audience, and she advised that this may affect the future venues of Area East and West Committees which had previously been held in remote locations.  Members of the public would be encouraged to attend meetings remotely however, they would have the right to attend in person if they wished to do so.  She said it would be prudent to agree recommendation 5.b on public health and safety grounds and in line with national or local safe practice under the Covid-19 guidance and requirements issued by the Government.

Councillor Peter Seib said that remote meetings had been a great success and had saved carbon emissions by cutting travel across the county.  He proposed that recommendation (a) be agreed to continue to enable members to hold remote, virtual meetingsfor a further 6 months.  This was subsequently seconded by Councillors Peter Gubbins and Gerard Tucker.

During discussion the following points were made:-

·         Chard Town Council were hoping to install equipment to allow hybrid meetings in the Guildhall and it was hoped this would be compatible to continue to hold SSDC meetings there.

·         Poor broadband in some rural areas posed a problem for the public wishing to join on-line meetings.

·         Parish Councils could also delegate decision making and continue to meet on-line as SSDC had done as they were bound by the same government legislation and guidelines on social distancing.

·         Remote on-line meetings had been a great success and had boosted public participation and recommendation (a) was the way forward.

·         People on the Covid shielding list had been advised not to mix with large groups of people when restrictions were lifted and so would not be able to attend in-person meetings.

·         Hybrid and virtual meetings allowed Councillors to attend meetings who would not otherwise be able to do so.

The Monitoring Officer advised that if Members wished to continue with on-line meetings then it would be sensible to agree a dispensation for all Councillors so they would not be caught by the 6 months non-attendance at meetings legislation under Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Following some discussion, it was noted that Council had previously agreed that the Chief Executive, in consultation with Group Leaders, could take an urgent decision to agree a dispensation for a Councillor from attending Council meetings if required, and, report that dispensation to the next meeting of Council.

A vote was taken on the proposal to continue to enable members to hold remote, virtual meetings using available technology and so extend the delegation of decisions to the Chief Executive made on 15 April 2021 for a further 6 months, to 08 January 2022 and this was carried by 32 votes in favour and 5 against.

(Voting: 32 in favour, 5 against, 0 abstentions)