Cancel meeting due to storm?

Question

Can a meeting be cancelled due to storm?

We are due 90mph winds tonight. The local authority have cancelled a meeting tonight due to storm and health and safety issues. Now our Chair is considering the same.

I am brand shiny new, is this allowable where do we stand?

Answer 1

There are some times when common sense should take precedence over legalities/procedures/niceties etc.

This sounds like one of them ...

Stay safe.

Answer 2

It is allowable. Meetings are often cancelled  due to them being inquorate. The local government act 1972 states that a parish council in England must hold not less than four meetings in each year, one of which must be the Annual Parish Council Meeting, which has to take place every year in May. You may have already held the three required that precede the May Annual meeting of your parish council.

Answer 3

It's disappointing that the government has just rejected an amendment to the Levelling Up bill which would have allowed hybrid or online meetings (both of which are allowed in Wales).  For those of us in very rural areas, it would avoid the inevitable cancellation of occasional meetings when the weather is particularly bad.

Answer 4

The PC has an obligation to carry out risk assessment on all of its actions which should of course cover meetings and venues at which they are held. Now it is a quick matter to poll councillors as to whether they will be able/unable to attend or have concerns about attending. Based on this alone the meeting could be cancelled or postponed to an EO meeting. The fact that the public may wish to attend leaves the decision up to them to make regarding weather conditions akin to deciding whether to go out in the rain.

What needs to be assessed by councillors in making their choice is the level of hype attributed to weather forecasting and coloured warning flashes on seasonal weather events and attributing it to something never seen in Britain. Remember our weather made us what we are-stoic and determined.