RCT Council to hold formal meetings via video conferencing
The Council is finalising arrangements for formal committee meetings to resume via video conferencing – with the first meeting scheduled for this week.
Formal meetings of the Council, Cabinet and Scrutiny were suspended due to the Coronavirus emergency. During this period Members have continued to work with Officers in relation to the Council’s response to the public health emergency, and to resolve matters on behalf of constituents.
Urgent matters have since been agreed by delegated decision – including most recently the 2020/21 supplementary capital programmes for Education and Highways.
The Council has confirmed that formal meetings will restart this week, with a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, May 21. Members will discuss a report outlining the Council’s response to the Coronavirus emergency. This will be followed by the resumption of Planning and Development Committee meetings during June.
Councillor Maureen Webber, Deputy Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Council Business, said: “Formal meetings are a vitally-important part of the democratic process, and while it was right to suspend these proceedings due to social distancing restrictions, Officers and Members have been working hard in the background over recent weeks, to reinstate our Member decision-making processes as soon as practicably possible.
“Recent changes to the regulations and requirements, relating to Council meetings by Welsh Government, have provided the necessary flexibility to allow all Elected Members to meet virtually for the first time. I am pleased that our formal business will begin to resume this week.
“The Council is initially prioritising Cabinet and planning meetings as the first to resume via video conferencing, with arrangements progressing well to resume other Committee functions – including Scrutiny committees – using this technology in the coming weeks.”
