Brixham Holds First Virtual Meeting

One Northamptonshire council hosts first virtual council meeting on March 30.

07:40 02 April 2020

One Northamptonshire council hosts first virtual council meeting on March 30. 

 

Brixworth Parish Council has hosted its first virtual council meeting on Monday night. The move follows strict government guidelines on social distancing in a bid to flatten the coronavirus curve. Councillors agree that until the pandemic is resolved, virtual meetings will likely become the new norm in the coming weeks or even months.  

 

The councillors utilised Microsoft Teams technology, which allowed them to log in and choose whether or not they wanted to be shown on the camera. The usual rigours of the council meeting were observed, including signing off the last minutes and declaring interests and a health and safety message. The meeting, which lasted for just 54 minutes, was split into three sections. The first section focused on discussing the decisions to be taken while the second section was for receiving the information. The third section focused on discussing any confidential items. 

 

For Brixworth Parish Council, it was important for business to continue as usual. The agenda made that much clear, stating: “Some councillors have been minded to simply mothball the council for several months and do nothing. This is not an option. The work of the council must continue, and it must continue to meet its statutory obligations.”