Issue - meetings

The Committee considered proposed amendments to the Council’s Petitions Scheme.

Section 46 of Chapter 10 of the Localism Act 2011 had repealed the provisions relating to facilities for receiving and dealing with petitions and e-petitions. In the light of these changes the Committee was asked to review the scheme for dealing with petitions.

Following its previous consideration of this matter, the Committee had sought the views of the Corporate Management Team and Cabinet on any proposed changes to the Petitions Scheme. Those bodies had now considered the matter and it was recommended that:

(a)        the right of a petitioner to request an overview and scrutiny committee to review the steps taken or action proposed by the Council should be removed; and

(b)        the provisions to hold an officer to account should be removed.

CMT and the Cabinet were of the view that the existing provisions requiring a petition in excess of 3,000 signatories to be submitted to full Council for debate if a petitioner so requested should be retained and therefore no amendments to this provision were proposed.

A revised Petitions Scheme was set out at Appendix 1 to the report.

RESOLVED

That Council be recommended to approve that

(1)  the Council’s petitions scheme be amended to:

(a)        remove the right of a petitioner to request an overview and scrutiny committee to review the steps taken or action proposed by the Council;

(b)        remove the provisions to hold an officer to account; and

(2)  the revised petitions scheme as set out in Appendix 1 be approved and the Constitution be amended accordingly.