Virtual county council meetings to be held during coronavirus lockdown

West Sussex County Council will take advantage of new legislation to hold its first virtual meetings ‘in public’.
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Housing developments and plans to close two small schools will be on the agendas of three meetings due to be audiocast on the council’s website this month.

Before the change in the law was introduced on Friday (April 2), councils were legally required to hold public meetings in person – something the coronavirus pandemic has made impossible.

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The first to hit the web will be the Children and Young People’s Services Scrutiny Committee, at 2pm on April 14, where plans to close Rumboldswhyke Infants and Clapham & Patching Primary schools will be discussed.

A decision on those plans is expected to be made by the Cabinet during the next virtual meeting, which is scheduled for April 22 at a time to be announced.

A Task & Finish Group meeting on the subject, which was due to be held tomorrow (April 7), has been cancelled.

The third meeting – of the Performance and Finance Scrutiny Committee – will be held on Wednesday April 15 at 10.30am.

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Members will look at a ‘call-in’ of plans to build houses on the Withy Patch gypsy and traveller site, in Lancing, part of the extensive New Monks Farm/IKEA development that was approved in 2018.

Concerns have been raised by some councillors, including a ‘lack of transparency’ and a ‘lack of public scrutiny’.

Agendas for each meeting will be published on the council’s website – www.westsussex.gov.uk

Search under ‘About the county council’ and ‘Council business’ to find each meeting.

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A spokesman said: “The county council is reviewing how to use the new legislation to hold essential business while members are unable to meet in person.

“Arrangements for future meetings will be communicated in due course.”

Last week, Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Local authorities are the backbone of our democracy and they are playing a vital role in the national effort to keep people safe. This change will support them to do that while maintaining the transparency we expect in local decision making.

Councillors and staff are already doing the right thing by following our advice to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives. This includes working from home wherever possible, and the new powers to hold meetings virtually will make that easier.”

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