Enabling remote attendance and proxy voting at local authority meetings

Topic of this consultation

This short consultation seeks views on the detail and practical implications of introducing provisions for remote and hybrid attendance and proxy voting at local authority meetings in England.

Scope of this consultation

Government is consulting on introducing powers for local authority members to apply to the relevant authority for a dispensation to attend formal council meetings remotely and vote by proxy in certain circumstances.

If any changes to legislation are made as a result of this consultation, they would only apply to local authorities in England, meaning:

• a county council
• a unitary authority
• a London borough council
• a district council
• the Common Council of the City of London
• the Greater London Authority
• the Council of the Isles of Scilly
• a parish council
• a joint board continued in being by virtue of section 263(1) of the 1972 Act
• a parish meeting constituted under section 13 of the Local Government Act 1972
• Transport for London, Para.5 of Schedule 10 of the GLA 1999 allows the GLA to regulate its own procedures and committees
• an authority established under section 10 of the Local Government Act 1985
• a joint authority established under Part 4 of the Local Government Act 1985
• a joint committee constituted to be a local planning authority under section 29 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
• a combined authority established under section 103 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009
• a combined county authority established under section 9 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023
• a fire and rescue authority constituted by a scheme under section 2 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 or a scheme to which section 4 of that Act applies, or created by an order under section 4A of that Act
• a National Park authority as referenced at section 184 of the LGA 1972 and/or established under section 63 of the Environment Act 1995 
• the Broads Authority established by section 1 of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988
• a conservation board established under section 86 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
• a police and crime panel established under section 28 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011

Geographical scope

The questions in this consultation apply to all relevant local authorities in England as defined above.

They do not apply to authorities in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Impact assessment

If any policy changes are made following this consultation they will be subject to appropriate assessment. No impact assessment has been conducted at this time.

Basic information

This is an open consultation. We particularly seek the views of individual members of the public; prospective and current local authority members/representatives; all relevant local authorities defined above; and those bodies that represent the interests of local members/representatives at all levels.

Body/bodies responsible for the consultation

The Local Government Capability and Improvement Division in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for conducting this consultation.

Duration

This consultation will last for 8 weeks from 24 October 2024.

Enquiries

For any enquiries about the consultation please contact: remoteattendanceconsultation@communities.gov.uk