Omission of remote meeting powers in devolution bill a “missed opportunity”, local government organisations warn

Writing in a joint letter to the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness, Alison McGovern, the National Digital Democracy Partnership said the omission comes despite "overwhelming sector-wide consensus that councils should have the flexibility to decide how best to conduct their meetings".

The partnership – made up of the Association of Democratic Services Officers (ADSO), Local Government Association (LGA), Lawyers in Local Government (LLG), the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS), the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), Society of Innovation Technology & Modernisation (Socitm) and the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) – also pointed to the outcome of a recent consultation, which saw the Government commit to supporting plans to allow local authorities to develop their own locally appropriate policies on remote meetings.

According to the seven organisations, the local government reorganisation agenda and increased concern over councillor safety had made the case for reforms "even more pressing".  

Councils are currently in the beginning stages of reorganising and creating new strategic authorities in line with the Government's plans for local government.

These new authorities will be making decisions now about their governance and meeting arrangements – "including investment in technology, staff development, and accommodation strategies", the letter said.

It added: "Without the option of remote or hybrid meetings, they risk locking in outdated and less flexible systems for years to come, or significantly increased costs in having to adapt those systems."

It also noted that reorganisation presents a challenge for councillors who will need to decide whether to stand for election for newly created authorities without knowing if they will be able to join meetings remotely or not.

The letter said: "We know that for local authorities who cover larger geographic areas that the ability to attend meetings remotely would make the role more accessible to wider range of people.

"This challenge is particularly pronounced for combined and strategic authorities which cover very large geographic areas."

On councillor safety, the letter highlighted "growing concern" about councillor safety, "with an increasing number of reported incidents of threats, violence and intimidation".

"Providing the choice to attend meetings remotely offers a practical, immediate way to help protect councillors and ensure they can continue to participate safely and confidently," it said.

The letter suggested hosting a meeting between the groups and the department to discuss the matter.

Adam Carey