Council’s first physical meeting for 15 months postponed at 11th hour
A council’s planned return to the meeting room after more than 15 months away was postponed at the 11th hour.
Stone Town Council was due to host its first physical meetings since March 2020 on Tuesday night, but they were postponed on Tuesday afternoon due to unforeseen circumstances. The new meeting date will be July 8, from 7pm.
The council’s last meeting was held online in early May, just days before special measures allowing local authorities to hold meetings remotely came to an end. Now councils are once again required to meet in physical settings – a move that has been criticised by some elected members in Staffordshire – but they have been encouraged to continue broadcasting proceedings online to enable members of the public to watch remotely.
Stone Town Council usually meets in the council chamber in Station Road, but Tuesday’s meetings were moved to the Frank Jordan Centre in Lichfield Street to enable better social distancing and allow residents to attend too.
A series of Covid-19 mitigation had been arranged ahead of the meeting, including hand sanitisers and increased ventilation. Visitors were also asked to wear face coverings inside the Frank Jordan Centre and provide their names and contact details for track and trace purposes.
