Petitions
We adopted a new Scheme for the Receipt of Petitions, the scheme gives details of the manner in which petitions can be submitted to us and how we will respond to them. This page summarises the contents of the scheme, but for further details please download the full scheme using the 'committee downloads' link to the right of this page.
How do I submit a petition?
Paper petitions can be submitted to the Democratic Services Team in City Hall. It is also now possible to submit a petition online via the Council’s E-Petitions systems, details of which are shown below.
E-petitions
The council now accepts the online submission of petitions through our E-Petitions system. To submit a petition, simply fill in the details using the ‘Submit a Petition’ link on the e-petitions section of the website. Once an e-petition has been closed to new signatures, it will be handled in the same manner as a paper petition.
What action will be taken in response to a petition?
The response to a petition will vary based on the contents of the petition, but can include the following action:
- Taking the action requested in the petition
- Considering the petition at a council meeting
- Holding an inquiry into the matter
- Holding a public meeting
- Referring the petition for consideration by the council’s Policy Scrutiny
- Committee
- Calling a referendum
If a petition has more than 900 signatures it will normally be debated at Full Council, while a petition containing more than 450 signatures can request that a relevant senior officer gives evidence at a Policy Scrutiny Committee meeting.
Guidelines
Petitions submitted to the council must include:
- A clear and concise statement covering the subject of the petition. It should state what action the petitioners wish the council to take
- The name, address and signature of any person supporting the petition
- The contact details of the petition organiser including an address
Petitions which are considered to be vexatious, abusive or otherwise inappropriate will not be accepted. In the period immediately before an election or referendum we may need to deal with your petition differently – if this is the case we will explain the reasons and discuss the revised timescale which will apply. If a petition does not follow the guidelines set out above, the council may decide not to do anything further with it. In that case, we will write to you to explain the reasons.
What can I do if I feel my petition has not been dealt with properly?
If you feel that a petition has not been properly handled, you have the right to request that the Policy Scrutiny Committee review the matter; the Policy Scrutiny Committee will then be able to recommend any actions within its remit. Results of the appeal will be communicated to the petition organiser within five working days of the review.