Today, Friday 3rd April, South Kesteven District Council will hold its first formal 'virtual' meeting.

Members of the Alcohol and Licensing Committees are expected to use Skype video-conferencing systems to take part in the meetings which begin at 10am this morning.

The convention of holding meetings face-to-face meetings in Grantham has been abandoned for the duration of the current CoronaVirus pandemic.

Most committee meetings have been postponed indefinitely but the planning and licensing committees have statutory functions which must adhere to legal timelines and therefore it is necessary for these committees to continue.

Independent Councillor Ashley Baxter, who represents the Market and West Deeping Ward is pleased that the council is using the technology.

He comments: "While everyone is dismayed at the ongoing Covid19 public health emergency, I am pleased that the council decision-making process is able to continue. I have argued for a long time that it would better if people didn't always ave to drive to Grantham to attend meeting. I hope the council's use of teleconferencing and live-streaming will continue long after the current pandemic has faded away."

Apart from reducing the risk to public health, holding the meetings online also reduces the environmental and financial costs of the meetings while improving accessibility to people who do not have either the time or resources to attend meeting in Grantham.

Coun Baxter continues "My only concern is whether or not committee members are competent in using the remote access technology. I know that some people struggle with technology regardless of their age".

At the Council's cabinet meeting on March 17, Cllr Baxter asked for training to be offered to Councillors but the council Chief Executive's initial response was to say that such training was to be "put on hold now until we come out of the other end of Covid19".

The Council's Leader, Coun Kelham Cooke, later promised to explore the possibility of online training but, as yet, most councillors have received no offer of training in the use of skype or similar technology.