Decision details

Members considered a report of the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services which presented a proposed scheme for handling petitions. The Council was required to establish such a scheme under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

The recommendations were moved by Councillor G. N. Denaro and seconded by Councillor R. Hollingworth.

An amendment was moved by Councillor P. M. McDonald and seconded by Councillor C. J. K. Wilson that:

the threshold for presenting a petition to Council for debate be 500 signatures and the threshold to trigger calling a senior officer to the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Board be 250 signatures (not 1,250);

there be an agreed set of criteria for the Monitoring Officer to follow for those petitions which did not meet the threshold;

the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Board only advise not determine which officers should be called to account; and

that petitions be acknowledged within 5 working days, not 10.

The Monitoring Officer advised that the wording in the Petitions Scheme with regard to her role could be amended to clarify how petitions below the threshold would be dealt with.

On a requisition under Council Procedure Rule 17.5, the following details of voting on the amendment were recorded.

For the amendment: Councillors Ms. J. A. Marshall, Mrs. C. M. McDonald, P. M. McDonald, D. McGrath, S. P. Shannon and C. J. K. Wilson (6);

Against the amendment: Councillors A. N. Blagg, Dr. D. W. P. Booth JP, S. R. Colella, R. J. Deeming, G. N. Denaro, Mrs. R. L. Dent, J. T. Duddy, Mrs. J. Dyer M.B.E., D. Hancox, R. Hollingworth, Ms. H. J. Jones, B. Lewis, D. L. Pardoe, S. R. Peters, Mrs. M. A. Sherrey JP, R. D. Smith, C. B. Taylor, E. C. Tibby, C. J. Tidmarsh, M. J. A. Webb and P. J. Whittaker (21);

Accordingly the Chairman declared the amendment to be LOST.

The report recommendations were then put to the vote as the substantive motion, whereupon it was

RESOLVED:

(a)          that the Petitions Scheme attached at Appendix 1 to the report be approved;

(b)          that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make consequential amendments to the Council Constitution;

(c)          that an e petitions facility be installed on the Council website to enable submission of petitions online in accordance with the Petitions Scheme by 15th December 2010;

(d)          that the relevant sections of the Petitions Scheme be published on the Council website as soon as possible and that the section on e petitions be published on 15th December 2010;

(e)          that the Monitoring Officer be designated responsibility for receiving, acknowledging and responding to petitions to the Council in the first instance, in accordance with the Petitions Scheme.