In Hampshire, which has the highest number of coronavirus cases by local authority area with 69, Eastleigh BC has cancelled all meetings until May and New Forest DC has cancelled some meetings.

Elsewhere, Gloucestershire and West Sussex CCs, Sedgemoor DC, the City of Lincoln Council and Boston BC and have all cancelled meetings until further notice while Solihull MBC and Southend Council have done so until April.

Kirklees Council has cancelled all meetings for the next month, including the full council meeting that had been scheduled for today, only exempting those that are “business critical”.

Suffolk CC has cancelled the full council meeting that had been scheduled for tomorrow, and social distancing measures will be in place at “business critical” cabinet, planning committee and licensing committee meetings.

The issue of maintaining democratic accountability as normal life is suspended due to the coronavirus was compounded as it emerged that legislation being introduced today to postpone this year’s local, mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner elections until May 2021 will also cover “other electoral events” including by elections.

Paul O’Brien, chief executive of the Association for Public Services Excellence, told LGC he is “uncomfortable” in the longer term about democracy and about small groups of people making decisions that significantly affect the majority of the local population.

“I understand there are sensible things that need to happen at present but the reason you have elected representatives is so they can look at it from a wide perspective of the community and ensuring decisions are being made for the right reasons,” he said.

“When fundamental decisions are being taken, such as reconstituting the budget, measures should be put in place so that a wide representative of the council can be involved in that process.”

“The danger lies in thinking that meetings can be postponed or cancelled without thinking too much about putting in place a replacement – based perhaps on the assumption that things will return to normal in a couple of months. The last few days should have disabused us of this notion.”

The postponement of the local elections has been criticised by some councillors.

Jon Burke (Lab), cabinet member for energy, waste, transport and public realm for Hackney LGC was quoted in the Hackney Citizen say saying that coronavirus is “being used as cover to erode our democratic rights”.

“Fascists are delighted by the decision to postpone the London mayoral election because they understand what the government is up to more than all those nodding this through as if it’s normal. It isn’t.

“Remaining a functional democracy at all times is essential.”

The Portsmouth News reported Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson (Lib Dem) as saying it would be “difficult” for the councillors who were not going to fight for their seats and would be councillors for another year.

LGC understands that in Warwick, where an increase in council tax has already gone ahead, the council is now waiting to hear back from the government on whether the postponement of local polls includes the referendum they had planned on raising tax for action to combat climate change.

If this is the case, the council will have to revert back to the standard increase and refund residents for the excess they have paid. “This would not be very democratic under the circumstances because we have had unanimous support for this measure on the council,” said Warwick’s leader Andrew Day.