Issue - meetings

To consider a proposed revision to the scheme for dealing with petitions to include provision for e-petitions.

The Committee considered a proposed revision to the scheme for dealing with petitions to include provision for e-petitions.

The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 required all principal local authorities in England to establish a scheme for handling petitions made to the authority. Under the Local Authorities (Petitions) (England) Order 2010 and in accordance with the Statutory Guidance the Council had approved its Petition Scheme on 27^th May 2010 and had requested that the Borough Solicitor report to the Constitution Committee on the development of an on-line petition facility.

The Order required the authority to develop an On-Line Petition Facility, to be available from 15^th December 2010. In the absence of any further guidance the Council’s Modern.gov agenda management system had been upgraded at no extra cost with an e-Petitions module. The system met the necessary legislative requirements and allowed the Petitions Officer to moderate petitions and decide if a petition should be rejected before it was published.

The Council’s Petition Scheme needed to be revised to reflect e-petitioning. A proposal was set out in Appendix A to the report. 

RESOLVED

That

(1)   Council be recommended that the Petitions Scheme be amended to include the additional section dealing with e-petitions as set out in Appendix A to the report and the Constitution be amended accordingly; and

(2)   the proposed online e-petition facility be launched with effect from 1^st December 2010.