Who can I present a petition to?

You can present a written petition to a meeting of the Cabinet, the council itself or one of the scrutiny or other committees. Your petition must relate to something for which the Cabinet, the council or the committee has responsibility. 

If you want to present a written petition at a particular meeting, you will need to notify Committee Services at County Hall and explain what the petition is about.

What you will need

Before you complete the application form below, you'll need to know:

• the name of the meeting
• the date of the meeting
• what you want to present.

You must complete the form by 9am four working days before the meeting you wish to address. You must also email the petition to the committee officer named on the agenda by 9am two working days before the meeting.

When asked 'What is your petition about?' on the form, please state if you prefer to address the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ by online connection.

A committee officer will contact you to facilitate your attendance whether in-person or virtually.

If you are unable to complete the online form, you can contact Committee Services at County Hall and explain what the petition is about. You will find a contact name and telephone number on the front of the agenda for the meeting.

What happens to my petition?

When you present your petition at a meeting of councillors, you will be able to address the meeting for up to three minutes to explain what the petition is about.

When you have presented your petition, the councillors may decide to note it or refer it to a future meeting or to a chief officer to be considered. They will be able to take a decision about what you have raised in your petition straight away only if it relates to an item that is already on the agenda for their meeting.