Background
The City of London Corporation has a long tradition of offering
our communities, be they resident or business, the opportunity to
raise issues of concern. Usually, this is done through an elected
Member who might raise the issue with a City of London officer at
the relevant Corporation committee. Alternatively, and more
formally, a resolution passed at a wardmote will be discussed at
the Court of Common Council. (A wardmote is a meeting that takes
place on an annual basis outside election years to allow
constituents to meet their elected representatives and raise
concerns and ask questions).
We are now launching an arrangement that will facilitate
electronic petitions (e-petition).
Access the E-Petition system.
Submission of an e-petition
To request the setting up of an e-petition click on
consultation@cityoflondon.gov.uk.
Your request should include the following;
- a clear statement covering the subject of the petition;
- a statement of what action you wish to be taken (including the
timetable);
- contact details for the petition organiser (these are for our
use and will not be placed on the website unless you request
it).
Our response to receipt of a request for an e-petition
An acknowledgement of receipt of the request will be sent to the
petition organiser. On receipt of a request we will take one of the
following actions:-
- If we are already able to do what your petition asks, we will
confirm what action will be taken and the petition will not be
uploaded.
- If the subject matter of the petition needs more investigation,
we will tell you the steps we plan to take.
- If the petition applies to a planning or licensing application
or is on a matter where there is already an existing right of
appeal and other procedures apply, you will be informed why your
petition will not be uploaded and the other steps you may wish to
take will be described.
- There are some circumstances which will result in our refusing
to upload the petition (see below), in which case we will give you
the reasons for this decision.
Display of e-petitions
An e-petition will be uploaded into the system for a fixed
period of time, usually 3 months. The e-petition period will start
on the day it is uploaded onto the City of London Corporation site.
However, the period can be shorter or longer than 3 months if this
is appropriate. If this is your wish, you should advise the
officer when making the initial request.
Refusal to display an e-petition
There are some circumstances in which an application for a
petition may be refused. These are:-
- if a petition is considered to be vexatious, abusive or
otherwise inappropriate it will not be accepted. In such a case, we
will advise the lead petitioner of the reasons for non
acceptance.
- if the petition is about something over which the City of
London Corporation has no direct control. In this instance, we may
aim to make representations on behalf of the community to the
relevant body. This might be through the City’s local strategic
partnership (The City Together). If we are not able to do this for
any reason then we will set out the reasons.
- if the petition falls within a period immediately before an
election. In this case we may need to deal with the petition
differently but we will explain the reasons and discuss how the
revised timescale will apply.
- Petitions that repeat a subject previously refused will not be
accepted.
Response to the e-petition
Once the time for which the petition is displayed has expired
the City of London Corporation will consider what appropriate
action might be taken. Options will include:-
- taking the specific action requested;
- agreeing with Members that the petition be raised at a meeting
of the relevant Committee;
- undertaking research;
- raising the issue at a residents’ consultation evening;
and
- officers meeting with petitioners to discuss the
issue.
Whatever next steps are chosen, we will write to the petition
organiser setting out any decisions and views about the
petition.
What can I do if I feel my petition has not been dealt with
properly?
If you feel that we have not dealt with your petition properly,
the petition organiser has the right to appeal by requesting that
the matter be reviewed by the relevant City of London Corporation
Committee. You should contact your elected ward representative in
the first instance to ask that the matter be raised on your
behalf.
Should the Committee determine that the matter has not been
dealt with adequately, it may instigate an investigation, direct
action from the relevant City Corporation department and
ultimately, report the issue to the Court of Common
Council.