How will the council respond?
Our response to a petition will depend on what a petition asks for and how many people have signed it, but the steps we take in response may include one or more of the following:
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considering the petition at a council meeting
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holding an inquiry into the matter
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undertaking research into the matter
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holding a public meeting
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holding a consultation
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holding a meeting with petitioners
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referring the petition for consideration by the council's overview and scrutiny committee*
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calling a referendum
leading to writing to the petition organiser:
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setting out our views about the request in the petition
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explaining that we will take the action requested in the petition
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explaining why we will not take the action requested in the petition
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explaining what action we will take, if any, in response to the subject raised by the petition
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giving advice about how the subject raised by the petition might be pursued.
*Overview and scrutiny committees are committees of councillors who are responsible for scrutinising the work of the council and some partners - in other words, the overview and scrutiny committee has the power to hold the council's decision makers and some partners to account. You can find out more about our decision making and scrutiny| arrangements.
The council will consider all the specific actions it could take on the subject raised by a petition. The table below gives some examples.
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Petition subject
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Appropriate steps
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Alcohol related crime and disorder
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If your petition is about crime or disorder linked to alcohol consumption, the council will, among other measures, consider the case for placing restrictions on public drinking in the area by establishing a designated public place order or, as a last resort, imposing an alcohol disorder zone. When an alcohol disorder zone is established the licensed premises in the area where alcohol related trouble is being caused are required to contribute to the costs of extra policing in that area. The council's response to your petition will set out the steps we intend to take and the reasons for taking this approach.
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Anti-social behaviour (ASB)
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As the elected representatives of your local area, as social landlord and licensing authority, the council plays a significant role to play in tackling anti-social behaviour. The council, in conjunction with our partners in the local crime and disorder partnership have set out minimum service standards for responding to issues of anti-social behaviour, you can find more details about these standards here [insert link]. When responding to petitions on ASB, we will consider in consultation with our local partners, all the options available to us including the wide range of powers and mechanisms we have to intervene as part of our role as social landlord and licensing authority. For example, we will work with the neighbourhood policing team in the affected area to identify what action might be taken including what role CCTV might play, consider identifying a dedicated contact within the council to liaise with the community and neighbourhood partners on issues of ASB in the area in question and, where appropriate, we will alert the crime and disorder reduction partnership and crime and disorder overview and scrutiny committee to the issues highlighted in the petition.
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Under-performing schools
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We will consider, in consultation with local partners, all the options available to us when working with schools to secure their improvement. For example, on our behalf, the school improvement partner will play a pivotal role, challenging and brokering support for poorly performing schools. Where a school is under performing we will consider whether it is appropriate in the circumstances to issue a warning notice outlining expectations and a timeframe for the school to improve its performance standards. Other measures available to us, where schools fail to comply with a warning notice or are in an Ofsted category of notice to improve (requiring significant improvement) or special measures including; appointing additional governors, establishing an interim executive board, removal of the school's delegated budgets, requiring the school to enter into a formal contract or partnership or, only if the school is in special measures, closure.
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Under-performing health services
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We will work with local health partners to consider the matter raised in the petition including, where appropriate, exploring what role the Local Involvement Network (LINk) might have in reviewing and feeding back on the issue (the LINk is run by local individuals and community groups and independently supported - their role to find out what people want in terms of local health services, monitor those services and to use their powers to hold them to account). The health overview and scrutiny committee will also be alerted to the petition and where the matter is sufficiently or potentially serious, the issue will be referred to them to consider for review.
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If your petition is about something over which the council has no direct control (for example the local railway or hospital) we will consider making representations on behalf of the community to the relevant body. The council works with a large number of local partners| and where possible will work with these partners to respond to your petition. If we are not able to do this for any reason, then we will explain this to you.
If your petition is about something that a different council is responsible for we will give consideration to what the best method is for responding to it. This might consist of simply forwarding the petition to the other council, but could involve other steps. In any event, we will always notify you of the action we have taken.
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