Our response

Our response to a petition will depend on what a petition asks for and how many people have signed it, but may include one or more of the following:

• taking the action requested in the petition;
• considering the petition at a council meeting;
• holding an inquiry into the matter;
• undertaking research into the matter;
• holding a public meeting;
• holding a consultation;
• holding a meeting with petitioners;
• referring the petition for consideration by the council’s overview and scrutiny function
• calling a referendum; or
• writing to the petition organiser setting out our views about the request in the petition;

Out of our jurisdiction

If your petition is about something over which the council has no direct control (for example the local railway or hospital) we will consider making representations on behalf of the community to the relevant body.

The council works with a large number of local partners and where possible will work with these partners to respond to your petition. If we are not able to do this for any reason (for example if what the petition calls for conflicts with council policy), then we will set out the reasons for this to you.

If your petition is about something that a different council is responsible for we will give consideration to what the best method is for responding to it. This might consist of simply forwarding the petition to the other council, but could involve other steps. In any event we will always notify you of the action we have taken.

Full council debates

If a petition contains signatures totalling more than 2.5% of the resident population of Northamptonshire, as stated in the current census statistics (2001) it will be debated by the full council unless it is a petition asking for a senior council officer to give evidence at a public meeting (see below).

This means that the issue raised in the petition will be discussed at a meeting which all councillors can attend.

• The council will endeavour to consider the petition at its next meeting, although on some occasions this may not be possible and consideration will then take place at the following meeting.
• The petition organiser will be given five minutes to present the petition at the meeting and the petition will then be discussed by councillors.
• The council will decide how to respond to the petition at this meeting.
• They may decide to take the action the petition requests, not to take the action requested for reasons put forward in the debate, or to commission further investigation into the matter, for example by a relevant committee.
• Where the issue is one on which the council executive are required to make the final decision, the council will decide whether to make recommendations to inform that decision.
• The petition organiser will receive written confirmation of this decision. This confirmation will also be published on our website.

Officer evidence

Your petition may ask for a senior council officer to give evidence at a public meeting about something for which the officer is responsible as part of their job.

• For example - your petition may ask a senior council officer to explain progress on an issue, or to explain the advice given to elected members to enable them to make a particular decision.
• If your petition contains at least 2,000 signatures, the relevant senior officer (member of CMT) will give evidence at a public meeting of the council’s overview and scrutiny committee.
• A list of the senior staff (member of CMT) that can be called to give evidence can be found on the council’s website.
• You should be aware that the overview and scrutiny committee may decide that it would be more appropriate for another officer to give evidence instead of any officer named in the petition – for instance if the named officer has changed jobs.
• The committee may also decide to call a relevant councillor to attend the meeting.
• Committee members will ask the questions at this meeting, but you will be able to suggest questions to the chair of the committee by contacting Democratic Services up to three working days before the meeting.