Petitions
Petitions
Guidance on submission of public petitions
Matters to consider before submitting a petition
There are various ways you can put your views to the Council before taking the step of submitting a petition. For instance, you can:
- Contact the relevant Council service to discuss your concern or request.
- Make a comment or complaint via the Council’s comments and complaints procedure.
- Contact one of your local ward Councillors to bring the matter to their attention.
- Respond to the relevant public consultation.
Drawing up your petition
If you have used the routes listed above and feel that you still want to submit a petition you must follow the guidance set out below.
Submitting a petition as an individual or organisation
A form is available for completion via the Online Petitions website
- Petitions must include the full name of the principal petitioner, address and contact details (email and phone number).
- An individual raising a petition MUST live in the Clackmannanshire Council area.
- If the petition is raised by an organisation or group, that organisation or group must have a registered or service address in Clackmannanshire. They must provide the address of the group and contact details of an officer.
Submitting a petition as a business
A form is available for completion via the Online Petitions website
- Petitions must include details of the business (eg company, partnership, sole trader) raising the petition.
- Details should include full name of the principal petitioner, business name, address and contact details (email and phone number).
- The business MUST have a registered or service address in Clackmannanshire.
- There must be at least 5 other registered Clackmannanshire businesses or businesses having a place of business in Clackmannanshire supporting the petition.
Content
- The petition should be titled and include a short, clear and concise statement (no more than 250 words) which covers the main subject of the petition and details of action which the petitioner wishes the Council to take.
- If the petition is in paper format, the top of every page of signatories must have the title of the petition and the petition statement which people are supporting.
- Only petitions regarding some interest or issue within Clackmannanshire will be considered by the appropriate Committee.
- Petitions must not contain language which is offensive, for example swear words, inflammatory, sarcastic or provocative language or other terms that could reasonably be considered as offensive by the reader.
- petitioners must ensure that information is submitted in good faith and does not include:
- false or defamatory statements
- information which is protected by an interdict or court order
- material which is commercially sensitive, confidential or which may cause personal distress or loss
- reference in the petition statement to the names of individuals.
Submitting your petition
Once you have drawn up your petition and checked it meets the criteria set out in this guidance, you should either submit your petition on-line or send the hard copy of your petition addressed to:
- Monitoring Officer, Clackmannanshire Council, Kilncraigs, Alloa, FK10 1EB
Alternatively, you may submit a scanned copy of the full petition (including signatures) by email to petitions@clacks.gov.uk
Please note that Council officers cannot participate in any photo call relating to the submission/receipt of a petition.
Sharing and Signing the Petition
Once your petition is set up on-line, the petition can be shared across social media, alternatively, you can print it off and ask people to sign it.
There are some conditions:
Signatories
- Individual signatories to a petition must live in the Clackmannanshire Council area.
- For issues relating to Clackmannanshire as a whole or individual geographic areas within Clackmannanshire, petitions will require at least 250 individual signatories before they will be considered by the Council.
Exclusions
Petitions should not be submitted (and will not be accepted by the Council) where they:
- challenge a decision if there is recourse to a legal remedy (such as the right of appeal to the Sheriff, recourse to the Lands Tribunal),
- relate to objections to Planning applications as these will be considered through separate guidelines governed by the appropriate legislation,
- relate to licensing decisions,
- relate to decisions which could result in court action,
- refer to an issue where there is recourse to the complaints procedure or to the Ombudsman available,
- relate to any situation where litigation may be involved,
- request the direct reversal of a decision/action approved by Council in the last six months,
- are related to a subject that is the same or similar to a petition considered within the last 12 months.
Once your petition is received
Your petition will be acknowledged within three working days of receipt. You do not need to submit multiple copies of the Petition. Once the Petition is confirmed as valid, the Clerk to the Petitions Committee will ensure that the Petition is sent to the Petitions Committee, the Chief Executive and Strategic Directors.
Your Petition will be confirmed as valid if correctly completed and meeting the criteria set out in this guidance within 10 working days of receipt of the Petition.
Petitions which do not follow the guidelines will be rejected and you will be informed in writing, by the Clerk to the Petitions Committee of the reasons with ten working days of receipt of the Petition.
A meeting of the Petitions Committee will be convened within 21 working days of your Petition being confirmed as valid, as detailed above. The Clerk of the Petitions Committee will invite petitioners to attend the Petitions Committee to speak in support of their petitions. If petitions have been submitted on similar issues they may be considered at the same meeting.
The Petitions Committee will listen to the views of the petitioners and ask questions to help decide on the most appropriate course of action. Where the matter is solely related to a single ward area, local Ward Councillors may also be invited to make representation to the Petitions Committee by the Chair. The Petitions Committee will report on every petition, in respect of which it has heard representations, to Council at the next available Council meeting, with its recommendation on how the petition should be disposed of. The Council will make the final decision on the Petition. Please note that where there are an equal number of votes for recommendation of the Petition the Council’s governance will apply with the Convener having the casting vote.
Within seven working days of the decision of Council on the Petition, the Clerk to the Council will write to the Principal Petitioner advising of the Council’s decision.
Further information
If you require further information on submitting a petition please contact us using the details below.