Issue - meetings

This report sets out details of a review of the Council’s Petitions Scheme and seeks approval of a revised Scheme from full Council.

Background:

This report set out details of a review of the Council’s Petitions Scheme and sought approval of a revised Scheme from full Council.

The report set out that in June 2025, the Business Support and Digital Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered an annual report in relation to the Council’s Petitions Scheme and in doing so had asked officers to review the scheme and bring proposals to a future Committee meeting, including reference to accepting external online petitions, whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a risk to the integrity of petitions, and issues around awareness of the Scheme.

The Scheme had been reviewed accordingly taking into account the experience and practice of administering the Scheme for over 15 years.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken in relation to the proposed changes to the Scheme. This was attached as Appendix C to the report.

The report had been considered by the Business Support and Digital Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 26 March 2026 and by the Cabinet on 7 April 2026.

It was confirmed that, following a request made by the Committee that consideration be given to enhancing security for e-petitions on the Council system, the CAPTCHA system was now used on the Council’s website for new users of the e-petitions platform.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Maple, supported by Councillor Hamilton, proposed the recommendations set out in the report.

This proposal was taken forward without discussion to the next ordinary meeting of the Council, in accordance with Council Rule 16.2, as it involved making changes to the Council Rules in the Council’s Constitution.

Background:

This report set out details of a review of the Council’s Petitions Scheme and sought approval from the Cabinet to refer it to full Council for final consideration and approval.

The report set out that in June 2025, the Business Support and Digital Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered an annual report in relation to the Council’s Petitions Scheme and in doing so had asked officers to review the scheme and bring proposals to a future Committee meeting, including reference to accepting external online petitions, whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a risk to the integrity of petitions, and issues around awareness of the Scheme.

The Scheme had been reviewed accordingly taking into account the experience and practice of administering the Scheme for over 15 years.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken in relation to the proposed changes to the Scheme. This was attached as Appendix C to the report.

The report had been considered by the Business Support and Digital Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 26 March 2026 and its comments were set out in an addendum report within Supplementary Agenda No.1. In relation to the recommendations made by the Committee to Cabinet that the Council give consideration to enhanced security for e-petitions on the Council system, the Cabinet determined that this would be looked at further, but it was not considered necessary for petition thresholds to be reviewed as these had not changed.

Reasons:

Approval of the revised Petitions Scheme will enable it to remain fit for purpose and increase the ways in which local residents can participate in local democracy.