Will the pandemic change way the Calderdale Council operates in the future

It is a situation members of Calderdale Council’s Place Scrutiny Board are likely to look at how changes forced on the council by the COVID-19 crisis might change working patterns.

“Is it good, bad, should we carry on with it?” said Board Chair Coun George Robinson.

Coun Robinson (Con, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) said one example was people working from home – he wondered if this could become working practice even if just for one day a week when the borough emerges from the pandemic, for example helping reduce the amount of traffic on Calderdale roads.

In terms of time and travelling saved, having meetings via Zoom had been quite beneficial.

“Should a lot of council meetings be online, face-to-face or a compromise?” he said.

Having services online could produce savings but had to be balanced with meeting the needs of those who did not have, or have access to, technology, he said.

Coun Paul Bellenger (Lib Dem, Greetland and Stainland) agreed positives could come out of a negative event, for example what had been learned after flooding.

Coun Victoria Porritt (Lab, Elland) said meetings had become more accessible to members of the public – during the crisis they are being screened on the council’s YouTube channel – and there was potential for some to be moved online.

Working from home at least part of the time would also save the amount of office space which might be needed.

These were issues the council could examine going ahead, she said.

“It’s a huge piece of work and it may be not for us to do yet, wer are still in the midst of this.

“The time for scrutiny looking at how we work going forwards isn’t yet but when that time comes if we have started to accumulate questions and answers there is potential for this to be an opportunity,” she said.

Coun Rob Holden (Ind, Ryburn) said regarding technology the council was becoming more efficient at using it and it was good to see that permeating through the authority.

Government’s emergency legislation had allowed a lot of this remote working and Government might want it to be taken further, down the line.

“I think we are better off doing this piece of work sooner rather than later, so we can send that to Whitehall – let’s make our feelings known on this,” he said.