CHESHIRE East has said Monday’s Health and Wellbeing Board meeting will go ahead although it will now be held virtually as an ‘informal discussion’.

The meeting was scheduled to be held at Sandbach Town Hall, then a message appeared on the council’s website saying it had been cancelled.

Now Cheshire East has confirmed it will go ahead as an ‘informal discussion’ .

A spokesperson said: “Cheshire East Health and Wellbeing Board will meet for an informal discussion on Monday 26 July 2021 at 2pm.

“The session will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams and will be available for the public to watch live and as a recording after the meeting.

“This session replaces the planned face-to-face public Health and Wellbeing Board meeting, originally scheduled for the same time.

“The informal discussion will allow partners to share information and views, with any decisions required being carried forward to the next meeting of the board.”

The board is unable to make any decisions at the virtual meeting because of changes in the legislation regarding online meetings, hence the ‘informal discussion’.

The spokesperson said: “Cheshire East Council, in common with many other councils across the country, is continuing to seek a sensible and safe way through the challenges brought by rapidly increasing infection rates and the requirement for all public decision-making meetings to be held physically.

“Current legislation prevents councils holding formal decision-making meetings remotely. The legislation that allowed remote council meetings during much of the coronavirus pandemic expired in May 2021.

“Arrangements for each meeting in the council’s calendar of meetings are being reviewed on a case-by-case basis to minimise risks to councillors, officers and visiting public, while ensuring that important decisions are taken in a timely manner.

“This includes reviewing and updating risk assessments, deferring decisions and postponing or cancelling meetings, with the agreement of committee chairs and vice chairs, where this is possible.”

The meeting can be accessed through the calendar of meetings on the Cheshire East website.