Zoom: A Hybrid Future - Experiences From Remote Meetings During The Pandemic

This report, produced jointly by Zoom and the County Councils Network (CCN), explores councillors’ experiences of remote and hybrid meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Drawing on feedback from almost 500 councillors across England’s county councils and unitary authorities, it highlights how rapidly local authorities adapted to virtual working and the strong appetite for hybrid models in the future.

Many councillors reported improved engagement, reduced travel time and carbon emissions, and greater accessibility for underrepresented groups.  

The survey, carried out for the report, found that:

• In total, 92% of councillors under the age of 44 and 61% of those aged 65 and over said that adopting a hybrid model would help improve the diversity of councils.
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• In total, 85% of female councillors said such a model would enable a better councillor-life balance.
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• A small majority of councillors (51%) said adopting a hybrid model which enables local people to watch all meetings online would make their council more accessible and accountable to their residents.
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• Over two-thirds of councillors (70%) said a hybrid model would cut down on travel expenses for their local authority, and three quarters (76%) said it would cut down on their carbon footprint.
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• In total, 71% of councillors said they expect their local authority to adopt a hybrid model which mixes remote and office working for most of their staff.

Recommendations put forward in the report include:

• Government should legislate to allow councils the option of holding formal statutory meetings in a hybrid format.
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• Councils should build on the benefits of hybrid working by using remote or hybrid formats where appropriate for informal meetings, committees, and community engagement.