Manchester prepares for ‘essential delegations’ of power

The council has announced that its “key meetings” scheduled for this week will go ahead as normal, and that these will be the last until the Governmental lockdown has been relaxed or removed.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council said: “Key meetings of the council will continue this week as we work through the Covid-19 outbreak to ensure we can maintain the necessary executive power to legally act on behalf of the people of Manchester.”

Leese explained that at the full council meeting tomorrow will be held to agree the essential delegations which will “ensure critical services [to] keep running” but with the minimum amount of people required to ensure legal processes.

The council meeting will be held in the council chamber “to ensure attendees can spread out and observe the necessary socially distancing measures in place to minimise the potential risk of spreading the virus, and it will be webcast as normal. 

“Legally, members have to be physically present for the meeting to be valid but this will be the last such meeting until the lockdown is relaxed. As many council meetings as possible have moved online already with key staff and executive members working from home.”

Leese concluded that “we must all play our part during this time to help prevent the spread of the virus and I would thank residents again for being guided by advice from public health. Manchester will be a different place in the coming weeks, but together we will get through this.”

The next planning meeting was due to be held on 9 April.