DEPARTING minister for Levelling-Up Communitites Kemi Badenoch has written to a Penrith councillor about the decision to end virtual council meetings after Covid-19

Penrith Town Council member Jonathan Davies has written to Central Government, urging them to reinstate councils' powers to hold virtual meetings.

And in her response Ms Badenoch (who has since resigned) said that council could look again at the decision to remove the ability to hold virtual council meetings.

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She said: "In response to the pandemic, the Government introduced regulations under section 78 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 to allow local authority meetings to take place remotely.

“The regulations were time limited and only applied to meetings held between April 4, 2020 and May 7 2021.

“A High Court judgement handed down on April 28 2021 confirmed that local authority meetings must take place in person.

“Prior to the expiry of the remote meetings regulations, the Government recognised that councils were keen to retain the flexibility to choose to meet remotely or in hybrid form as and when circumstances dictate.”

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A consultation was launched, welcoming views on the subject between March 25 and June 17, 2021 “to inform consideration of permanent provisions.”

Providing that the new-look Government has time, arrangements for remote council meetings could be considered in the future.

Ms Badenoch said: “Any permanent provision would require primary legislation and would depend upon available Parliamentary available.

“The department has considered responses to the Call for Evidence and Government will respond shortly.”