Agenda item

(Copy herewith.)

The Committee considered a petition which had been received at the meeting of the Council held on 16 September 2013 and which had been referred to this Committee.  The petition asked the Council to change its policy on accepting petitions to include forms such as works of art to convey messages of public discontent.

The Chief Executive stated that three items which were asserted to be petitions had been submitted at recent Council meetings on a mattress, then on a bed sheet, then on sheets of paper.  The first two had not been accepted as there had not been clear names and signatures of any petitioners nor any clarity over what the petitioners were asking the Council to do, or consider.  He stated that petitions did not need to be submitted on paper but had to be recognisable in law as petitions, indicating who had signed them, that the signatories were representative, that the signatories were residents in the Borough, and being clear in the action requested from the Council.  He stated that petitions should also be presented in a manner which maintains the dignity of the Council meeting.

The Solicitor then detailed the procedures for submitting and dealing with petitions, as set out in the Council’s Constitution.

Mr Huffadine-Smith then addressed the Committee stating that the Council needed more young people with imagination to take an interest in politics to keep the Council in touch with the people it served and that consultations often did not work.  He referred to the potential value of a work of art, such as the mattress which had been submitted.

Mr Leach then addressed the Committee stating that the Council’s policy did not allow equal access to all and restricted freedom of expression under the Equalities Act 2010 and the European Convention on Human Rights, in that blind or partially sighted people might not know what they were signing or what a petition was asking for.  Also, not everyone was happy to give their addresses and signatures on a petition.  He asked that video and audio recordings and other forms of media be accepted and that the Council should set the lead in this area.

Members noted the issues that Mr Leach had raised in relation to blind and partially sighted people.  The Chief Executive stated that petitions might be presented in more creative forms but suggested that petitioners should take advice on formats from officers before submitting a petition. He stated that petitions should not lower the tone of the Council meeting and referred to the language used in writing on the mattress which had been rejected as a petition at the Council meeting held on 15 July 2013.  It should also be clear what the petitioners were requesting the Council to do.

It was noted that petitions did not always express public discontent but could be requesting the Council to take a particular form of action and that messages of public discontent alone may not constitute a petition, which should include a request to the Council to take a particular action.

RESOLVED:

That no further action be taken in respect of the petition.