Meetings
The Full Council meets every two months, usually on the fourth Monday of the month.
The dates of Full Council and Committee meetings are shown on the Meetings Calendar on the home page.
Full Council and Committee meetings are open to members of the public except during the consideration of confidential items; the reasons for which are as prescribed in the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960.
If you wish to speak at any meeting, please contact the Town Clerk for further details.
Why can’t council meetings be held online anymore?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government introduced temporary regulations (SI 2020/392) which allowed councils to meet remotely. These regulations ended on 7 May 2021. Since then, the law (Local Government Act 1972) has required councils in England to meet in person.
Why hasn’t the law been changed to allow remote meetings?
The Government has carried out consultations on whether councils should be able to meet remotely in the future. While many councils and residents supported the idea, the Government has said that any change would need new primary legislation, and this has not yet been scheduled in Parliament.
What is happening next?
The Government has confirmed it intends to introduce legislation to give councils the option of remote and hybrid meetings when Parliamentary time allows. Until then, councils must continue to hold their formal meetings in person.