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Financial advice and emotional support on how you can ease the cost of living squeeze.

Petitions

What a petition is, how you can submit one and how you can expect your petition to be dealt with.

A petition is a formal way for you to give your views on a topic that interests you.
 

Start a petition

For us to consider your petition, it must be "properly constituted". This means it must satisfy one or more conditions:

  • be signed by no fewer than 50 individuals who are electors of the district of Uttlesford
  • be signed by the chairman of no fewer than five councils of parishes within the Uttlesford district
  • be signed by no fewer than half the electors of any single parish within the district of Uttlesford whether or not the parish has a parish council

How to send us a petition

Paper petitions can be sent to:

Democratic Services
Uttlesford District Council
London Road
Saffron Walden
Essex
CB11 4ER

We'll send an acknowledgement to the petition organiser within 10 working days of receiving the petition. It will let them know what we will do with the petition and when they can expect to hear from the council again. Our response to a petition will depend on what a petition asks for and how many people have signed it.

What we will do

We will consider all the specific actions we can potentially take on the issues in the petition. Our response may include:

  • taking the action requested in the petition
  • considering the petition at a council meeting (if there are at least 3,600 signatures)
  • holding an inquiry into the matter
  • undertaking research into the matter
  • holding a public meeting
  • referring the petition for consideration by the council's Scrutiny Committee (if there are at least 1,800 signatures, or for other valid reasons)
  • writing to the petition organiser setting out the council's views about the request in the petition

We are not obliged to consider any petition which is vexatious, abusive or otherwise inappropriate. In addition, petitions may not be used to call into question decisions relating to planning or licensing matters and decisions relating to individuals or legal bodies where there is a statutory right of appeal.

Further guidance on submitting a petition can be found in Article 3 of the council's Constitution.
 

Verification number for petitions

Each year we must publish a verification number for petitions. This is a figure equivalent to 5% of the number of local government electors in the district as at 15 February. The reason for publishing this figure is to determine the number of electors who are required to sign any petition sent to the council relating to the form of governance operated by the council. The council is required to hold a referendum if the proper officer is satisfied that a petition is valid.

Notice of public verification number
 

Petitions received

Our e-petitions system lets you view and support current online petitions.
 

Help with petitions

Please contact Democratic Services on 01799 510 548/410/369/460 or by email to committee@uttlesford.gov.uk if you have any questions about a petition.

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