Remote Meeting Guidelines for members of the public
The Government have now issued the regulations that give local authorities greater flexibility in the conduct of meetings, including allowing members to attend remotely, and for public and press access to those meetings. These ‘Regulations’ (The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020) came into force on 4 April 2020.
Following the new regulations Wadhurst Parish Council will be holding some Council meetings using Zoom on line meeting platform.
- Before the meeting
- The Agenda will be placed on the website and on the notice board (if possible) as normal (i.e. with three clear days of notice).
- Any member of the public and press who wishes to attend the meeting will need to download Zoom. Please visit https://zoom.us/meetings where you will be able to download the App. The website gives tutorials and demonstrations on how to download Zoom and how to join meetings.
- The Clerk will put a link, on the website, to join the Zoom meeting by 5pm of the day of the meeting. The Clerk will also include the meeting ID and password. For the Planning Committee meetings the link will be posted by 5pm the evening before.
- The Clerk will upload to the website the full set of papers (other than for the Planning Committee) to support the meeting the day before the meeting.
- Members of the public are welcome (as usual) to send any questions or comments to the Clerk prior to the meeting via email to, text to or by calling the Clerk. These must be received by 5pm on the day of the meeting (or the day before for the Planning Committee). The Clerk will present any representations received to the Councillors to address.
The meeting
- The Chair of the Council or a Committee will Chair the meeting.
- The Clerk of the Council will host the meeting on Zoom.
- Members of the public will enter a “waiting room” on Zoom and wait for the Clerk to approve their attendance. It would be helpful if members of the public could “name their videos” so that the Chair and Clerk can refer to them correctly.
- All attendees will be muted on entry to the meeting.
- Members of the public will be able to make representation during the public forum.
- Members of the public will be asked to “put their hand up” using the icon on Zoom if they wish to speak during the public forum.
- The Clerk will “unmute” members of the public who wish to speak at the instruction of the Chair.
- At the conclusion of the public forum the Clerk will “mute” all members of the public.
- The required standards of behaviour and discussion are the same whether in remote or face-to-face meetings. Members of the public who use or display inappropriate or offensive language and/or behaviour will be removed from the meeting to the waiting room. This includes any inappropriate backdrops on display on the video.
- The Council will discuss, via email, prior to the meeting any items which are considered sufficiently confidential as to warrant exclusion of members of the press and public under the provisions of The Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 and will advise of the outcome of any discussions at the meeting.
- After the meeting
- The Clerk will take the minutes of the meeting as usual.
- Members of the Council and the Clerk will review how the meeting went and may make some changes to the process if necessary.
Amanda Barlow
Clerk to Wadhurst Parish Council
Telephone: 07375 062428
Email: clerk@wadhurst-pc.gov.uk
