Formal meetings to be held online
Community councils back to business
An East Kilbride Community Council has welcomed moves that could see them meet online formally.
I t c o mes a f t e r “h i s t o r i c i s s u e s” p r e v e n t i n g c o mmu n i t y c o u n c i l s meeting online are set to be rectified.
Councillors have agreed to review S o u t h L a n a r k s h i r e ’s s c h e me f o r community councils with a view to modernising the regulations around meetings.
Since the coronavirus lockdown was enforced in March, community councils in the region have been unable to meet as a result of restrictions on gatherings.
Informal online and phone meetings h a v e b e e n h e l d b y t h e r e g i o n ’s community councils with office bearers using their delegated powers outwith these to ensure they are still able to function.
Head of administration and legal s e r v i c e s , G e r a l d i n e McCa n n t o l d councillors at a meeting of t he f ull council that the scheme hadn’t been fully reviewed for six years.
She said that clause 11 of the scheme “did mean that community councils could not hold online or hybrid meetings as t he council have been able to”.
Ms McCann s a i d t hat c l a u s e 1 1 “requires all meetings to be held in p u b l i c ” a n d t hat members o f t h e press and public “must be able to be physically present”.
Community councils in other local authorities have been able t o meet online but “historic issues” in South Lanarkshire meant the scheme had been set up in a way preventing online and hybrid meetings.
The proposed revisions would allow al l or s ome of t he members of t he community council, press and public to attend a meeting using remote access and suspend the requirement for the public to be able to physically attend any meetings.
Chairman of East Mains Community Council Bill Arthur said: “We have been holding informal Zoom meetings just so we were aware of any issues although they haven’t been constituted.
“We w o u l d w e l c o me a n y t h i n g that would allow us to proceed as a constituted council and take mandated actions.
“Any democratic body needs to adapt in what is unprecedented times and we would welcome this.”
Council leader John Ross welcomed t h e r e v i e w, a d d i n g : “C o mmuni t y councils have a hugely important role.
“Coronavirus has highlighted failings in the current scheme.”
Conservative group l e a d e r, Councillor Alex Allison, also welcomed the review but highlighted that not all community councils have the capacity to hold remote meetings.
Community councils can use t heir annual administration grants t o purchase hardware and l i c ence software to enable remote meetings to take place.
The changes can’t be implemented f or at l e a s t e i g ht weeks a s c ur re nt legislation - set out in 1973 - requires an eight-week public consultation to take place.
After that, any changes would need to be backed by two-thirds of councillors at the next meeting of the council.
If any amendments to the proposals were put f or ward at t hat point, t he process would be required to restart with a further eight-week consultation.