Nine out of ten county councillors support ability of authorities to adopt hybrid model of meetings

More than two thirds of respondents (72%) to the survey, which was filled in by 479 councillors from the 36 local authorities CCN represents, meanwhile said that moving to a hybrid model where some meetings are held online and some are held in-person could attract more younger people, ethnic minorities, and women to stand in local elections.

Just 45% of respondents said they were either self-employed or in full-time work. In addition, less than half of respondents said they had caring responsibilities. Of those, nine in ten respondents with caring responsibilities said that a hybrid model would allow them to better balance their role as councillors with the rest of their lives, whilst eight in ten without caring responsibilities said a hybrid model would provide a better councillor-life balance.

A majority of respondents said that adopting a hybrid model would make it easier for them to attend more meetings.

CCN said its survey, conducted with Zoom, also found:

• In total, 92% of councillors under the age of 44 and 61% of those aged 65 and over said that adopting a hybrid model would help improve the diversity of councils. In total, 85% of female councillors said such a model would enable a better councillor-life balance. Just 11% of respondents to the survey were under the age of 44.
• A majority of councillors (51%) said adopting a hybrid model which enables local people to watch all meetings online would make their council more accessible and accountable to their residents. In total, 69% of respondents said video conferencing had helped them engage with community groups during the pandemic.
• Over two-thirds of councillors (70%) said a hybrid model would cut down on travel expenses for their local authority, and three quarters (76%) said it would cut down on their carbon footprint. One councillor in a rural county estimated such a model could cut down on 1,000 miles for them a year.
• In total, 71% of councillors said they expect their local authority to adopt a hybrid model which mixes remote and office working for most of their staff. During the pandemic, 83% of respondents said that they spent at least six hours a week video conferencing during the pandemic’s lockdowns – with 27% doing at least fifteen hours a week. Before the pandemic struck, just 12% of councillors said they had participated in council meetings online.

Commenting on the survey results, Cllr Julian German, Rural Spokesperson for the County Councils Network, said: “One of the most defining features of first lockdown was the rise of video conferencing, and councils embraced this technology, turning the way they operate upside down almost overnight with meetings going virtual.

“Whilst councillors will always want the ability to meet, discuss and scrutinise in person, when reflecting on the lessons learned from the last two years, there are clear benefits to councils offering a hybrid model. There is a clear consensus that hybrid meetings could open the door to attracting a younger, more diverse set of councillors, who are able to effectively balance their councillor and caring or employment responsibilities.

“Councillors across the country are also clear such a model would also increase transparency and accountability, encouraging more residents to engage in council business, as well as providing cost and environmental benefits to the public sector. This should be viewed as a win-win scenario for government, with a hybrid model offering the best of both worlds. We urge ministers to consider including legislation to enable such a model.”

Charlotte Holloway, UK Government Relations Director at Zoom, said: “After successfully adapting to new and innovative ways of working over the past two years, this report demonstrates a strong desire from the vast majority of councillors to continue using hybrid technologies for day-to-day work as well as statutory meetings – something currently prohibited in legislation.”

Earlier this month LLG (Lawyers in Local Government) and ADSO (the Association of Democratic Services Officers) expressed disappointment ahead of local elections that the Government has still not responded to the call for evidence on local authority remote meetings which was held from March to June 2021.