Covid-19: Councils hire theatres and sports grounds for safe meetings

Local councils are spending thousands of pounds to hire venues such as sports grounds and theatres for their annual meetings because of Covid-19 rules.

In April the government decided against extending emergency Covid-19 laws which allowed meetings to be held online.

A Hertfordshire County Council High Court challenge to this was rejected.

Among the venues which will be used by councils are the Norfolk Showground, Northampton's Franklin's Gardens rugby stadium and a Stevenage theatre.

Authorities which held elections must hold an annual meeting within 21 days of the 6 May polling day, meaning those meetings with all councillors must be held before coronavirus restrictions have fully eased.

Local authorities had been getting used to holding virtual meetings during the pandemic, BBC Politics East reports.

To comply, Hertfordshire County Council is planning to hold its annual general meeting (AGM) on 25 May at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage.

Quentin Baker, the chief legal officer of the council, said: "We are going to Stevenage because the venue is big enough for all of our councillors - all 78 - and the officers, who need to be there to support them, in a Covid-secure manner.

"It's all about protecting their safety. The cost of having Stevenage as a venue is about £3,000 for the whole day.

"We don't envisage it is going to be an ongoing thing into the future as there will be a point where Covid requirements are relaxed."

The new West Northamptonshire Council will hold its annual meeting at the home of Northampton Saints rugby club at Franklin's Gardens stadium on 20 May.

Anna Earnshaw, chief executive West Northants Council, said: "We have 93 councillors and we have to keep them socially distanced and we don't have any sites big enough to accommodate them. So we have hired a private venue at the Saints' rugby ground.

"There will be a cost of about £7,000 but we will be taking it out of our Covid fund."

In Norfolk, the county council's AGM will take place at the Norfolk Showground on 24 May "to enable the safe social distancing of 83 councillors, plus officers" said a spokesman.

The venue is best known for hosting the Royal Norfolk Show, an agricultural highlight of the year, featuring a range of livestock competitions as well as other entertainments.

However, some councils do have large enough buildings to hold Covid-19 secure meetings - such as Ipswich Borough Council.

A spokesman said the council was "planning to hold its annual meeting and other meetings... at the Town Hall/Corn Exchange complex while Covid restrictions are in place".

He added: "We are working on the detail of how this will work ahead of the annual meeting on 19 May."

Politics East airs on BBC One in the East on Sunday 16 May at 10:00 GMT and can be viewed on the BBC iPlayer afterwards.