The recruitment and retention of councillors – particularly those balancing career or care commitments – will be hampered if councils are not allowed to hold hybrid meetings, the LGA has warned.
The overwhelming majority of councils in England (95 per cent) want to reintroduce virtual and hybrid technology for statutory council meetings, according to an LGA survey. One in 10 councils surveyed had a councillor who had stepped down since May 2021, following the post-pandemic reintroduction of the requirement for such meetings to be in-person.
No council wanted to hold fully virtual meetings, but the vast majority wanted hybrid options for those councillors who needed it, including those with disabilities, work or childcare commitments.
Cllr Joe Harris, LGA Vice-Chair, said: “Good decision-making needs people who reflect the range of experiences, background and insight that exist in their communities.
“However, councillors are restricted by law to attend council meetings in person, which can deter a range of people – including full-time professionals, parents of young children, carers, workers and disabled people – from stepping forward to represent their communities.
“Many people now use hybrid meeting technologies every day in their work life, so there should be no reason why this cannot be used by councils across the country. This will help to drive up engagement in local democracy and ensure that we have a diverse range of councillors throughout our communities.”
