Agenda item

To consider the report of the Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication with proposed revisions to the Council’s Petitions scheme, in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

The Service Director, Democratic Services and Communication presented his report which sought to endorse the recommendations of the Constitution Committee in respect of proposed revisions to the Council’s current petitions scheme, as in accordance with the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021. The Service Director advised that the Council’s Petition scheme has been in place before the statutory requirement upon local authorities in Wales.

The Service Director referred Members to section four of the report which set out the current procedures which had been adopted by the Council’s Constitution Committee in 2019. Such procedures had demonstrated the Council’s processes following receipt of a petition by the public and/or Members.

The Service Director summarised the suggested improvements to the Council’s petitions scheme at section five of the report which would enhance the current process and look to link and strengthen the wider public participation strategy that the Council is building upon. He referred Members to an area of more specific direction within the scheme, in respect of members of the public being able to submit their online e-petitions in the future to enable them to present their views on key decisions. A further revision is to include a mechanism for a petition, with the support of sufficient signatories, to be noted on a Council agenda, providing the opportunity for Elected Members to request referral of the matter to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for its consideration.

The Service Director advised that the most significant amendment, seeks any petition with more than 1,000 signatures, to be visible on the Council’s website and for the opportunity for the local Member, on behalf of their residents, to request Scrutiny to consider the item with the support of Full Council. The Service Director stated that as part of the proposed revisions, Council is also asked to approve the development of the detailed guidance booklet by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

In presenting his report, the Service Director advised that the mechanism of referring matters to another council committee and the use of e-petitions, already adopted by other local authorities, has been proposed to avoid the need to create an additional administrative burden on the council through the creation of another, additional committee structure, whilst maintaining the same intent.

In response to a query regarding the tiered approach and for the petitions to be referenced only on the council agenda, the Service Director emphasised the significant amount of business currently considered by Full Council each month and the importance of maintaining a balance in this respect.

Following discussion, it was RESOLVED:

i)               To endorse the Constitution Committee’s proposed amendments to the Council’s current petition scheme as set out within section 5 of the report and agree to the proposed revisions;

ii)              To instruct the Monitoring Officer to amend the constitution to reflect these changes; and

iii)             To approve the development of a petition scheme ‘guidance booklet’ to assist members of the public in taking forward a petition and for this booklet to be developed by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.