Rutland County Councillors will meet in person tomorrow (Monday) to appoint Elected Members to a number of key positions for the 2021/22 council year.

The Annual Council meeting is taking place on Monday May 10 at 7.00pm and is the first in person meeting for more than a year due to pandemic-related restrictions.

The meeting will be held at Rutland County Museum as Rutland's Council Chamber is currently unavailable because it continues to operate as a COVID-19 vaccination site.

Members of the public will be able to view the meeting online. Details of how to watch can be found online at: www.rutland.gov.uk/meetings.

Recent changes to national legislation mean that members of the public can also attend the meeting in person.

However, the council says space is extremely limited and anyone who wishes to attend must reserve a place in advance by emailing: [email protected]. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

The Annual Council meeting will elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council for the next 12 months, as well as appointing individual Councillors to important positions on various committees and scrutiny committees.

Following the appointments, Members will be asked to agree a proposed schedule of meetings for the next 12 months, including future dates for Full Council, Cabinet and other statutory Committees.

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This will be the first time that Rutland County Councillors have met in person since local authorities in England were handed new COVID powers to hold public meetings virtually in April 2020.

Council leader Oliver Hemsley said: "Annual Council last year had to take place virtually because of COVID-19. The re-introduction of physical meetings is being done gradually and safely, in line with changes to Government legislation and the latest public health guidelines.

"Although the Government is easing national lockdown measures, the extra work and responsibilities absorbed by local councils because of the pandemic has not gone away.

"Efforts to deliver local services safely and address the long term impact of COVID will continue for a long time to come. Annual Council will agree the structure and key roles that allow us to carry on with this important work."

Measures being taken for the safe return of meetings held in public include using a venue large enough for effective social distancing, ventilation and the use of lateral flow testing. Councillors will be required to wear masks, unless medically exempt, and take a COVID test within 24 hours of the meeting.

Anyone who would like to watch the meeting online or listen by phone can find further details on the Meetings page of the Council's website, together with the full agenda and reports for Annual Council: www.rutland.gov.uk/annualcouncil.