Corporate Services, Climate Change and  Scrutiny Management Committee		11 November 2024
	Report of the Director of Governance

Schedule of Petitions

Summary

1. Members of this Committee are aware of their role in the consideration of petitions received by the Council. The Committee last received an updated schedule of petitions in May 2024.  In accordance with the Council’s Petitions Scheme and Council Standing Orders, the Committee in invited to scrutinise any actions taken in relation to petitions received and to consider any next steps such as may be appropriate.

Background

2. The Council formally adopted its Petitions Scheme at its meeting in March 2022, covering both paper and e petitions. For information purposes, that Scheme is attached at Annex A.  The Scheme provides that petitions will be referred to this Committee for consideration, and historically the most opportune time for this is when actions by the relevant Directorate are finalised (e.g., to refer to an Executive Member for decision on any actions).  In that way, the Committee can reasonably review whether the proposed action represented a satisfactory way in which to deal with each petition received.

Current Petitions Update

3. Annex B provides a list of all petitions recorded as received by the Council since the last report to this Committee in May 2024, with details of progress and actions since then. The schedule also lists those petitions that were presented to Council prior to May 2024 and that are still open, along with those that were open at the time of the last update report, but have since been closed.

Process

4. Members are reminded that the role of this Committee is not to determine any specific actions to be taken in relation to petitions but rather to monitor the progress of their consideration and the appropriateness of any actions planned or taken by the decision maker.

5. The Council’s Petition Scheme (Annex A attached) is set out at Appendix 2 of the Constitution.  Paragraph 5.2 states:

“Paper petitions handed in to a Ward Councillor are normally presented at Full Council and then passed to a senior officer within the relevant Directorate and referred to the Customer and Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee. Those that come directly into the Council Offices are also referred to the Customer and Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee.”

6.      Members may wish to note that under the proposed changes to the Council Procedure Rules, to be considered by Council on 21 November, petitions will no longer be automatically referred to this Committee following receipt, but will instead be referred to the appropriate decision-maker (new rule B6 1). 

Options

6. The Scheme sets out the options available to this Committee in reviewing petitions at paragraph 8.2 as follows:

a) Requesting a detailed report on the issues;

b) Noting receipt of the petition and proposed action;

c) Requiring the Executive Member or person taking any decisions on the matter to attend a meeting and answer questions;

d) Undertaking a detailed scrutiny review, gathering evidence, hearing from witnesses and making recommendations to the appropriate person or Member making the decisions; or

e) Referring the matter to Full Council for debate according to the significance of the issues.

7. Under paragraph 8.3, the Committee may call for reports and undertake reviews in relation to petitions where it is concerned that they have not been dealt with properly.

Consultation

8. All Councillors were involved in the decision making around the existing Petitions Scheme, given that it was subject to Full Council approval for inclusion in its Constitution. Relevant Directorates are involved in the preparation of the schedule of petitions and actions compiled at Annex B.

Implications

9. There are no known legal, financial, human resources or other implications directly associated with the recommendations in this report.  However, depending upon what, if any, further actions Members agree to in respect of individual petitions there may, of course, be specific implications for resources which would need to be addressed.

Risk Management

10. There are no known risk implications associated with the recommendations in this report. Members should, however, be aware of the reputational risk to the Council if it fails to ensure appropriate consideration is given to petitions from the public.   

Recommendations

11. Members are asked to:

(i) Note the schedule of petitions;

(ii) Review the petitions and actions planned or taken and identify any further actions they consider necessary or appropriate in line with the options available under the Council’s Petitions Scheme, as set out at paragraphs 6 and 7 above.

Reason:     To ensure the Committee carries out its constitutional role in relation to petitions.

Contact Details:

Author: Lindsay Tomlinson Head of Democratic Governance	Chief Officer Responsible for the report: Bryn Roberts Director of Governance Bryn.roberts@york.gov.uk
Report Approved	ü	Date		331/10/2024
Wards Affected:				All		ü

Background Papers: None

Annexes:

Annex A – Appendix 2 of Council Constitution – Petitions Scheme

Annex B – Schedule of petitions