East Sussex County Council is to ask for the powers to hold virtual meetings on a permanent basis, following a vote this week.

At a full council meeting on Tuesday, county councillors backed a motion, from Liberal Democrat councillor Kathryn Field, to call on the government to grant local authorities the powers to choose whether meetings should be held virtually or in person.

While virtual meetings have been allowed since the beginning of the coronavirus restrictions, in normal times councils are required by law to hold their meetings in person and (usually) in public. 

Cllr Field’s motion had initially been opposed by senior Conservative councillors – including council leader Keith Glazier –  when it was first discussed at a committee meeting earlier this month.

They said their opposition was on the grounds it could potentially tie the hands of the new council set to come in following elections next May. 

But at the full council meeting, Cllr Glazier said his position had changed as he no longer considered the motion to be binding. 

He attributed the change to an amendment offered by Cllr Godfrey Daniel, which made it clear the motion asked for a case-by-case choice on whether to hold meetings virtually or in person.