CALLS to allow local councils to continue meeting virtually continue, with councillors not showing up to in-person gatherings in protest.

Special regulations put in place at the start of the pandemic allowed councillors to meet virtually via Zoom, Microsoft Teams or other similar chat apps.

But they expired at the start of May, and now councillors across England have to return to face-to-face meetings, often in large halls like leisure centres, where they can be spaced out to maintain social distancing.

But some of Oxfordshire's political leaders continue to be unhappy about having to return to in-person meetings, because of safety risk and because meeting virtually is thought to be more green.

Emily Smith, the leader of Vale of White Horse District Council 

Emily Smith, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council said: "Running meetings safely that are open to the public has needlessly been made costly and complicated to all councils – County, District, Towns and Parish councils.

"I urge as many people as possible to respond to the Government's call for evidence about virtual meetings and to keep up the pressure for a change in legislation to allow councils to conduct their business on behalf of residents on-line if they wish."

READ MORE: Sports hall needed for Oxfordshire councillors' first face-to-face meeting

On the Vale district the smallest number of Liberal Democrat councillors attended the first in-person full council meeting on Tuesday as a protest, with only enough for the meeting to be 'quorate' there.

The council meeting had to be held in the council's open-plan office at Milton Park, as its usual meeting place of the Beacon in Wantage is currently being used as a Covid testing centre.

Oxfordshire County Councillors have also criticised the return to face-to-face meetings.

At the county's first meeting on Tuesday, Labour group leader Liz Brighouse said councils had been 'treated really badly by central government'.

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