Local councillors are quitting over being forced to attend planning meetings in person, according to a survey.
In accordance with 50-year-old laws, local authorities are required to hold planning and full council meetings in person. The rules were temporarily suspended during the pandemic, with participants permitted to attend remotely using their computers at home, but reinstated in May 2021.
A survey by the Local Government Association found that since then, councillors have stood down at one in 10 councils, noting that expectations around the acceptability of technology had shifted considerably because of the pandemic.
The LGA is supporting an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill that would allow councils to meet virtually.
The overwhelming majority of councils surveyed (95%) said they wanted the power to reintroduce virtual and hybrid technology for statutory council meetings.
