Doubt has been cast on planned elections for Cornwall Council next May after one senior councillor suggested that nobody would be betting on them happening.

All seats at County Hall are due to be up for grabs at the next election which will be contested on new arrangements, reducing the number of councillors from 123 to 87.

However with the country still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic there are fears that the elections may have to be postponed.

Those concerns were aired at a meeting of Cornwall Council’s constitution and governance committee this morning.

The meeting saw councillors discussing plans for an induction programme for new councillors for those elected in May.

Malcolm Brown, leader of the Liberal Democrat group at County Hall, said: “It is very difficult to plan for the induction. We don’t know for certain that the elections will be in May.

“I defy anyone to go to a bookies and put a bet on for £100 that they will.”

Cllr Brown said that there had been an announcement this week that no decision will be made on whether the national census will take place in 2021 until the end of this year.

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He said that while the Government had indicated that elections were expected to take place next year there had not yet been any final decision and he did not expect one until the new year.

As well as the Cornwall Council elections there is also due to be an election for the police and crime commissioner which was cancelled in May this year due to the pandemic.

There are also a number of referendums on neighbourhood development plans which have been drawn up for various areas in Cornwall which have been on hold due to the coronavirus.

The committee meeting heard that the council was drawing up plans for councillor inductions on the basis that they may have to be done under coronavirus restrictions.

Council officers said that the council chamber at County Hall can hold meetings for up to 26 people under social distancing rules and said that induction sessions for new councillors would be divided into small groups to allow for this.

However the council is also looking to take a digital approach and said that councillors would be able to take part in meetings and induction sessions online as well.

This would have a side benefit of the sessions being recorded so that they could be referred to by councillors at a later date and available for anyone unable to attend.

Councillors also heard that there are plans to introduce a new official ceremony to welcome newly elected councillors to County Hall.

These celebrations would see new councillors sign their acceptance of office in the presence of the council chairman and with their family members in a formal welcome to the council.