MONMOUTHSHIRE council has said it will make the most of remote meetings following a trial run with the council’s investment committee.

The county council will hold its first cabinet meeting open to the press and public on Wednesday, May 6, via Microsoft Teams.

The decision was taken following a trial with the investment committee on Friday, April 24, and the passing of legislation on April 22 to allow fully remote meetings to be held.

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A council report says: “The council will continue to develop its ability to host meetings remotely with a view to holding a full council meeting.

“Further legislative work may be required to permit the decision making bodies of the planning committee and licensing and regulatory committees to function again and, as business finds an equilibrium in the Covid-19 period allowing routine work and decision making to return, the scrutiny functions of the Select Committees will return accordingly.

“The AGM may take place at any time in 2020 and all members holding positions as chairs, vice-chairs, appointed to bodies, joint committees and other such positions may continue to hold them until April 30, 2021.”

The council also revealed in the report that so far decisions had been taken via the normal methods of individual cabinet member decisions or via delegated powers to council officers.

These decisions decisions were taken “either has part of the wider coordinated Covid-19 (CV19) emergency response, or as mandated by the laws that have been enacted as part of the response.

The decisions include redeploying staff, taking decisions around waste collections and social distancing for workers, exercising discretion around council tax and business rate relief and when and what schools should remain open for key workers.

Monmouthshire is the first Gwent council to hold remote meetings in the coronavirus pandemic and the first to reveal what decisions have been taken.

While the council’s constitution allows decisions that in certain circumstance would normally be made by the council or cabinet to be made by the chief executive or other senior officers, no such decisions have taken place during the coronavirus pandemic.

The last cabinet meeting was held on March 4 and all reports required to be dealt with in the 2019/20 financial year were concluded in that meeting.

The last meeting to be held before lockdown was audit committee on March 19.

It is not yet known how long council meetings may have to be held remotely.