Agenda item

To submit the report of the Chair of the Democratic Services Committee.

·         To adopt the arrangements for future Council meetings in accordance with the principles set out in paragraph 9 of the report to Council, with meetings of the Full Council, Planning Committee and scrutiny committees to be held from a location (hybrid) with the remainder remaining virtual meetings.

·         Confirm the responsibility of implementing a start date to the Head of Democracy Services in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, Chair of Democracy Services Committee and Council Chair, following the lifting of the current restrictions.

The Chair of the Democratic Services Committee, Councillor Anne Lloyd Jones, submitted a report inviting the Council to approve arrangements to hold Council meetings in order to address the new requirements in Part 3 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

Members were given an opportunity to make observations and ask questions.

A number of members expressed their concerns regarding the virtual / hybrid arrangements on the following grounds:-

·         There were broadband issues across the county, and it was asked if the Council could do more to assist with this, for the benefit of the county's businesses and councillors.  In response, it was noted that the Growth Deal would invest in the region's digital infrastructure.

·         That the old arrangements (i.e. in-person meeting in the Chamber) were better.

·         That the report did not refer to mental well-being or loneliness, and these matters would worsen if everyone continued to work alone in front of a screen, without the opportunity to socialise and chat with colleagues and councillors.

·         There was concern about how new members from May onwards would receive the support and assistance they required.

·         It was important to have in-person meetings to enable staff to get to know new staff and for councillors to get to know their new fellow councillors after May.

Hope was expressed that there would be a continuous review of the arrangements.

The shift to hybrid meetings was supported by other members on the grounds that it would give members the choice of coming to the chamber, or participating in the discussion from home.

Referring to the 'Virtually only' sub-heading in the 'Type of Meeting' column in Appendix A of the report, concern was expressed that this closed the door to in-person meetings forever, and an amendment was proposed to remove the sub-heading, so that all meetings would become hybrid, and therefore retaining the option for councillors to attend meetings in a location.   

In response to the amendment and to the members’ observations, it was noted:-

·         That adopting the procedure of holding some meetings virtually only would not close the door, and it was very important to monitor and review the arrangements continuously (at least annually).

·         There was reference in the report to exceptions that would occur from time to time, such as initial meetings after elections, so that new members could familiarise themselves with the Council's work, and for returning members to be able to meet their new fellow members.

·         That the amendment to make all meetings hybrid would transform what the Democratic Services Committee had put forward, and meant that every meeting would have to be held in a chamber as a starting point.  Should the amendment be accepted, the matter would have to be referred back to the committee to consider the implications, and to receive a further report on the matter.  The Council was not in a position to make a decision there and then to hold every meeting in a chamber the second the restrictions would be lifted.

·         The desire to return to the chamber was appreciated, but there was substantial work to be done to get the systems to work to hold committees where some members were in the chamber, and others at home, and it was strongly suggested that we should get the listed committees (namely the Council, the Planning Committee and the scrutiny committees) to work properly in the first place, especially in terms of matters such as the voting system.  After this, it would be possible to review, and if everything was working well, consideration could be given to extending the arrangement in future.

The Chair of the Democratic Service Committee noted that hybrid meetings involved another different way of working, and that chairing hybrid meetings would be a different experience, and would require different and new skills.  She thanked the staff of the Democratic Service for ensuring that the members had been able to meet and see each other (virtually) over the last two years, and she noted that she would ensure that the arrangements would be reviewed in moving forward.

RESOLVED

·                To adopt the arrangements for future Council meetings in accordance with the principles set out in paragraph 9 of the report to Council, with meetings of the Full Council, Planning Committee and scrutiny committees to be held from a location (hybrid) with the remainder remaining virtual meetings.

·                To confirm the responsibility of implementing a start date to the Head of Democracy Services in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, Chair of Democracy Services Committee and Council Chair, following the lifting of the current restrictions.