Councils sidestep rules through ‘informal’ remote meetings
Some councils are drawing up plans to sidestep legal requirements for them to hold face to face meetings from now on by first holding "informal" remote meetings of councillors, then allowing a smaller group of elected members to ratify those decisions in person.
In order to limit face to face member contact while the coronavirus pandemic continues, councils are taking steps to flex the rules which dictate they must now return to meeting face to face, following a high court judgement on the matter last month.
A subsequent decision by judges quashed hopes that members of the public could be banned from attending, although their numbers can be capped in accordance with health and safety guidelines.