Falkirk Council: Hybrid meetings will continue agree councillors

Falkirk Council will continue to hold hybrid meetings in a bid to make them easier for all councillors to attend.
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Since coronavirus restrictions started to be lifted, the council has met in Falkirk’s Lesser Town Hall, with most members in the chamber but others taking part online.

The meetings are also livestreamed on YouTube and councillors agreed that having the flexibility to attend without being in person was useful and hybrid meetings had worked well.

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The last two meetings have seen some problems with sound but councillors were reassured that this was being addressed as previously the technology had worked well.

Councillors will continue to use Falkirk Town Hall for hybrid meetingsCouncillors will continue to use Falkirk Town Hall for hybrid meetings
Councillors will continue to use Falkirk Town Hall for hybrid meetings

The proposal was agreed at a meeting of the full council on June 1, when councillors were finishing the agenda from the first meeting of the new term, held last week.

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Members also voted to keep the start time of 10am – half an hour later than when meetings were held in pre-pandemic life.

Conservative councillor James Kerr and the SNP’s Paul Garner supported returning to a 9.30am start,

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But others agreed with Councillor Fiona Collie who said that the 10am start was better for members who have childcare or caring commitments.

When put the vote, the 10am start was agreed by 20 votes to seven.

Councillors also agreed to the programme of meetings for the remainder of the year – although one meeting that had inadvertently been planned for the first week of the school holidays was changed.

They agreed to move the meeting to Thursday, June 24.

Chief Governance Officer Colin Moodie also suggested that a meeting planned for the October holidays should also be changed, recognising the fact that more councillors now have school-age children.

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At the recent election on May 5, half of those elected were new to the council, resulting in several changes across all three political parties and Independents.

SNP group leader Cecil Meiklejohn was returned as the leader of Falkirk Council, while Labour’s Robert Bissett was elected as the new Provost.

The SNP’s David Balfour was elected as Depute Provost.

There is no formal coalition between parties with the SNP once again running a minority administration.