Issue - items at meetings - Petitions Scheme

Report of the Strategic Director, Resources (copy attached).

RESOLVED - That Governance Committee:

(a)         Notes the review of the operation of the petitions scheme and e-petitions facility;

(b)         Considers whether changes to the petitions scheme are required and, if so, makes recommendations for the implementation of such changes to Full Council;

(b)    Agrees that no changes be made to the petitions scheme.

(c)         Considers whether Agrees that a further review of the petitions scheme is be required once the Localism Bill is enacted and the legal requirement to have a petitions scheme is repealed.

12.1         The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director, Resources reviewing the council’s petitions scheme following 12 months’ of operation and in the context of the Localism Bill, including the thresholds for triggering a Full Council debate on a petition and for holding a senior officer to account.

12.2         Councillor Kennedy stated that the threshold for triggering a council debate was set at the correct level and that the proportion of petitions resulting in a debate was acceptable; raising the threshold would send the wrong message to members of the public, whose participation the council welcomed. She raised concerns about the facility to hold senior officers to account, as officers primarily acting on the basis of direction from councillors.

12.3         Councillor A Norman advised that it was important to retain the existing threshold for triggering a council debate if the council was committed to engaging with communities; 1250 signatures represented a challenge, but had been shown to be achievable. She added that members of the public had reported difficulties in accessing the epetitions facility on the council website and that it should be more clearly signposted.

12.4         Councillor Powell advised that an increase in the number of petitions was likely given the cuts made to budgets and services. Having been involved with a petition prior to being elected, she stated that it meant a significant amount to members of the public to be able to have their say.

12.5         Councillor Oxley stated that the threshold for triggering a council debate was set at the correct level and that the public were making use of it to have make their views known. He welcomed the approach at Full Council to take petition debates and related Notices of Motion together to allow members of the public to see the full debate on an issue.

12.6         Councillor Mitchell stated that she supported retention of the threshold at the existing levels and also reported residents did not find it easy to access the epetitions facility.

12.7         Councillor Randall echoed the website access issues raised, but was encouraged by the number of people using the epetitions facility.

12.8         Councillor J Kitcat noted that no significant changes could be made to the scheme until the enactment of the Localism Bill. He advised that work was being done on the council’s website and that he would make the Committee’s views known.

12.9         RESOLVED - That Governance Committee:

(a)         Notes the review of the operation of the petitions scheme and e-petitions facility;

(b)         Considers whether changes to the petitions scheme are required and, if so, makes recommendations for the implementation of such changes to Full Council;

(b)    Agrees that no changes be made to the petitions scheme.

(c)         Considers whether Agrees that a further review of the petitions scheme is be required once the Localism Bill is enacted and the legal requirement to have a petitions scheme is repealed.