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May 2022 - Local Government

87% of councillors are in support of moving to hybrid model of online and in-person council meetings: A survey of councillors has revealed that the majority are in favour of moving council meetings to a mix of online and in-person sessions, with 72% saying that they believe this move could help to attract younger people, women and ethnic minorities to stand in local elections.

The survey by the County Councils Network (CCN) polled 479 councillors -- almost a fifth of all councillors within the 36 councils the CCN represents.

It found that before the pandemic, 88% of councillors said that they attended no council meetings or engagements online.

Asking respondents what they believe the benefits to moving to a hybrid meeting model might be, more than half (51%) said that being able to watch meetings online would make their council more accessible and accountable to local people.

Seven out of 10 respondents said that hybrid working would see a reduction in travel costs and therefore expenses for their local council (70%), while three-quarters (76%) said it will help reduce the council's carbon footprint

The research found that 92% of councillors under the age of 44 years believe that a hybrid way of working will help improve the diversity of councils, while 61% of over 65s said the same. Furthermore, 85% of female councillors said a hybrid model would support a better 'councillor-life balance'.

Experiences during the pandemic

Seven in 10 councillors who responded to the survey said that during the pandemic, conferences via online platforms helped them to engage with community groups, with 83% saying that during this time they spent at least six hours a week in video conferences, and 27% spending at least 15 hours online. 

The survey also found that 80% of councillors polled said that video conferencing had helped them engage more with their political party and activists, while 69% said it has helped them engage with more community groups. Almost two-thirds (65%) said that online meetings have helped them to engage more in overview and scrutiny meetings.

Cllr Julian German, Rural Spokesperson for the County Councils Network, said:

“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."

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