Harrogate council cancels final full meeting of 2021 due to Covid concerns

All 40 councillors plus staff were due to attend the meeting at the council's Civic Centre on Wednesday, but a spokesperson has now announced it has been cancelled as there would have been "difficulties to social distance".

While social distancing rules were lifted earlier this year, current government guidance says people should still "consider the risks of close contact".

The council has only held two full council meetings in-person in 2021 - one in July at Harrogate Convention Centre and one in October at the Civic Centre.

All others have either been held online or cancelled.

Early in the pandemic, the government changed legislation on council meetings so that they could be held online.

However, these rules were changed in summer when all council meetings legally had to be held in person again.

Among the items that were due to be discussed at tomorrow's meeting was an update on the performance of Harrogate Convention Centre, as well as a call for some public buildings to be handed over to parish councils under local government reorganisation.

An urgency committee meeting is now being arranged for 23 December when some of the items will be dealt with by a smaller group of cross-party councillors.

The council spokesperson said: "Given the difficulties to social distance in the chamber, and the short notice to try and arrange another venue, the meeting of the council has been cancelled."

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter