Northamptonshire: Omicron prompts call for remote council meetings

Meetings of authorities across the country, including this one of the West Northamptonshire Shadow Authority, took place across most of 2020

Councils should be allowed to hold meetings remotely due to "increasing concerns" about the Omicron variant, according to a body representing town and parish authorities.

Virtual council meetings were brought to an end in May 2020.

Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils' Danny Moody said "the benefits of remote meetings extend well beyond health protection".

The government said councils should "ensure meetings take place safely".

Local councils had been forced to go online in 2020 due to the pandemic and restrictions on public meetings.

Emergency legislation was passed in the Commons to give them the power to do business over video conferencing tools, but this expired the day after the local elections on 6 May.

Jackie Weaver opposed the decision to end virtual meetings in May, saying they had been instrumental in getting people involved in local politics

Jackie Weaver, who rose to fame after a meeting of Handforth Parish Council went viral, was among those who criticised the decision to end virtual meetings, calling it "dreadful".

Mr Moody, chief executive of the association, has written to Northamptonshire's seven MPs asking them to raise the matter in Parliament.

He said councils should "have the flexibility to decide how best to conduct their meetings".

Mr Moody added: "With the spread of the Omicron variant in Northamptonshire there are increasing concerns about in-person council meetings over the coming months.

"It is not an option to cancel the meetings, because parish and town councils are setting their budgets and precepts now in accordance with statutory deadlines and it is one of the functions that cannot be delegated to officers."

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He said remote meetings also increased public engagement, allowed councillors and the public to have a more accessible experience, increased councillor attendance, lowered travel expense claims and resulted in a reduced carbon footprint.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said the government recognised concerns about the risks of face-to-face meetings, but added: "It is for councils to apply the Covid-19 guidance and ensure meetings take place safely."

In a statement, the government said councils had a "full range of options available to them to minimise risks and concerns".