Cardiff Council Considers Hybrid Meetings

Cardiff Council to trial 'hybrid' public meetings as Covid-19 rules are being lifted.

05:19 28 May 2021

Cardiff Council is preparing to shift back to face-to-face meetings as lockdown rules are easing. 

 

Councillors in Cardiff have not met in person for licensing hearings, full council meetings and planning committees since March last year due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, as the infection rates remain low, they are now preparing to trial hybrid meetings. 

 

On Monday, 24 May, councillors heard how council officers are preparing for the change and how issues with technology and privacy are being worked out. 

 

Gary Jones, head of democratic services, said: “We have to work out exactly how that’s going to happen. I have to say there’s a lot to do. We have a set of hybrid kits installed in County Hall. What we haven’t done is tested it and played with it and worked out how meeting procedures need to adapt.

 

“If a chair is remote, how does he see the people in the meeting and understand who wants to talk when? There’s also the need to have simultaneous Welsh translation. Microsoft Teams still doesn't provide a suitable solution.”

 

The cost of upgrading the technology used by councillors includes £5,000 for Zoom, £35,000 for the hybrid meeting kids, £25,000 for tablets and £3,000 cybersecurity training for councillors.