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Highland Council publishes decisions made during Covid-19 coronavirus emergency; Decisions 'appropriate, proportionate' says senior councillor


By Gregor White

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Chief executive Donna Manson has chaired the group.
Chief executive Donna Manson has chaired the group.

Highland Council has published decisions made by senior officers under current emergency procedures.

A list of decisions made since March 19 is on the council’s website here

The council says it will continue to the added to and updated.

Chaired by council chief executive Donna Manson a strategic "Gold Group" was set up to provide governance for the council’s emergency response to Covid-19 and continuing business, using emergency procedures under the council’s existing Scheme of Delegation, and within the Civil Contingencies Act and Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

On March 17 all council committee meetings were postponed during March and April 2020 following the Prime Minister and First Minister’s announcements marking the beginning of lockdown on March 16.

The Gold Group of senior cross-party councillors was also set up, meeting virtually, to provide oversight for decisions made under emergency powers.

On April 15 the group agreed committees should only be held during May and June if urgent business required it, but would be postponed until the end of June, except for a special council meeting on June 25.

A corporate resources committee meeting is now being planned for June 3 and a planning review body meeting for June 30. Both meetings will be held virtually.

Highland Council convener, Councillor Bill Lobban, said: "I welcome the publication of decisions made under emergency procedures which will help to assure members and the wider community that decisions made have been appropriate, proportionate, and in direct response to the Covid-19 emergency.

"Many of the decisions have been minor in nature and they have all required a quick response by council officers and the ability to adjust to that response as situations have developed.

"I would like to take the opportunity to thank council staff for their unstinting response to this national emergency, many of whom, unable to carry out their normal duties, have volunteered to help in any way they can."

The council says the re-introduction of committee meetings and member-led governance will be a gradual process as the council continues to operate under emergency procedures due to staff requirements to continue to work on the Covid-19 emergency response.

It says it is also working on providing a "robust and reliable ICT alternative" to deliver council meetings remotely to all councillors together with appropriate support and training but will be unable to operate in “business as usual” for "a long time" due to the impact of Covid-19.

Decisions made under emergency procedures will be circulated to all councillors on a weekly basis and published on the council’s website, including notification if no decisions have been made.

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