Cheshire East AGM

Cheshire East Council’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held as a remote meeting on Tuesday 4 May, at 5pm.

The meeting will confirm the appointment of Mayor and will see the election of leader, deputy leader and chairs of committees and mark the formal transition of the council from cabinet-led governance arrangements to a committee system of decision making.

Emergency coronavirus regulations, permitting councils to hold meetings virtually, are due to expire on 7 May.  The council’s AGM was previously scheduled for 12 May. However, at this point, Covid regulations and guidance would make a physical meeting of the council’s 81 members, supporting officers and members of the public, impossible.

After consideration of various options, it has been decided to move the AGM forward to 4 May to allow the meeting to be undertaken virtually under the emergency regulations.

A legal challenge regarding the legal status of virtual meetings has been brought by Lawyers in Local Government, the Association of Democratic Services Officers and Hertfordshire County Council.  At a court hearing on 21 April, the High Court was asked to declare that the Local Government Act 1972 already empowers local authorities to hold meetings remotely, regardless of the coronavirus regulations. However, at the time of writing no decision on this case has been published.

The formal civic Mayor-making ceremony, normally undertaken at AGM, will now take place later in the year, Covid regulations permitting.