North Yorkshire County Council made history today (19 May 2020) by staging its first virtual council meeting in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
In order to comply with social distancing measures, the Executive meeting was held on Skype and broadcast to the County Council’s YouTube page.
County Council Leader Councillor Carl Les said:
The first virtual meeting of the Executive went very well. From the safety of our isolated settings we were able to have a full discussion and hear the range of views from different councillors.
Even during the coronavirus pandemic, it is integral to maintain democracy. Virtual meetings mean we have the ability to continue in our democratic role and make important decisions with the public watching.
Whilst everyone would agree that we prefer meeting face-to-face, during these unprecedented times online meetings are necessary to keep everyone safe. Going forward we will listen to any feedback and make any necessary changes to make these meetings as successful as possible. We will get better with confidence.
Future virtual meetings can be viewed at www.northyorks.gov.uk/live-meetings or on the County Council’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/channel/UC0gjJEz3veF4w-9y9Hqnm4A
