CITY councillors are to debate whether they should be able to attend council meetings over Zoom.

Remote council meetings became the norm during Covid but Worcester City Council, like other local authorities, has since reverted to standard procedures.

This means councillors have to attend meetings in person in order to participate and vote.

In order to change that, the government would need to amend the Local Government Act 1972.

MOTION: Cllr Jagger wants councillors to be able to take part in meetings remotely MOTION: Cllr Jagger wants councillors to be able to take part in meetings remotely (Image: Jessie Jagger)

With this in mind, Lib Dem councillor Jessie Jagger has submitted a motion calling for the council to ask for the support of Worcester MP Tom Collins.

If councillors support the motion at next week’s full council meeting, Mr Collins will be asked to raise the issue in the House of Commons, “urging for a simple but critical amendment” to the act.

The motion says this would “delegate the power to councils to conduct remote or hybrid (in person and remote) council meetings based on their judgment and specific needs”.

“Councillor Jessie Jagger, a serving member of this council and currently pregnant, might face difficulties in attending council meetings in person, once the baby arrives in January,” the motion states.

It says other councillors with young children or other caregiving responsibilities would welcome the “valuable flexibility” offered by online meetings, “particularly during times of serious illness”.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, the temporary ability to hold remote council meetings under the Coronavirus Act 2020 demonstrated the effectiveness and increased accessibility of such arrangements,” Cllr Jagger’s motion states.

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“The Local Government Association undertook a call for evidence from councils which found good levels of support for the notion that there should be more flexibility to councils in arranging meetings which enable the participation of councillors who cannot attend in person for genuine personal circumstances.

“With sufficient political will in Parliament, modifying the existing legislation to allow for councillors’ remote participation in council meetings could be a straightforward legal change.

“Regions like Wales already have provisions that grant councils the authority to decide on conducting meetings which are either hybrid or fully remote.”

City council meetings have been streamed live on YouTube since 2021.