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ePetitions
ePetitions in Kingston Upon Thames
Petitions have long been an accepted part of democratic life in Kingston upon Thames, so adding an online system simply made them more accessible to a wider group of people.Kingston already has a good process for handling paper petitions. The petitioners collect signatures then present the petition either at a Full Council meeting or at a Neighbourhood (ie Area) Committee. If they wish they can speak about it at that point. The petition is then referred to the relevant Committee, and the Council aims to get a report on the issues within the next Committee cycle.
This means that each petition, no matter how few signatures it has attracted, generates an item on a Council agenda. At the meeting when it is considered the petitioner and other interested people can make a formal presentation and can also join in the discussion with councillors.
What happens next depends on the issue. Often the issue is much more complex than it appeared to the petitioners. Sometimes they agree to the decision made by councillors. Sometimes a small working group, including the petitioners, is set up to explore the options in more detail.
Online petitions augment this process; they have been popular with young people and are also useful for widening participation across the borough.
One further note - Kingston already operates a community call-in procedure. 100 interested people can call in any executive decision made by councillors, and this is normally done by raising a petition.
Pages in ePetitions
- 1. ICELE Special Supplement
- 2. Why ePetitions?
- 3. So why the rise in ePetitioning?
- 4. The Benefits
- 5. ePetitions in Kingston Upon Thames « You are here
- 6. ICELE Guide to ePetitions
- 7. Want to know more?