Residents can now sign online petitions to let South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) know their views (which of course is something the Save Milton County Park campaign was doing almost four years ago now but let’s not quibble.). Last spring SCDC adopted a new petitions scheme and today sees the launch of their e-Petitions website.

There are several different kinds of petition:

• Consultation – responding to SCDC’s invitation to comment on a particular issue as a planning application or a new policy. These will be reported to the committee making a decision on the issue, along with all other representations SCDC receive (50 signature minimum).
• Statutory – relating to an Act of Parliament, for example, asking SCDC to adopt a new form of governance with a directly-elected Mayor (minimum signatures required set by the relevant legislation).
• Petition for Debate – 100 signatures are required to trigger a debate on your petition at a meeting of the full Council.
• Hold an Officer to Account – 500 signatures are needed to require a council officer to answer questions about a particular matter at a meeting of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee.
• Ordinary – any petition which doesn’t fall into the above categories (50 signature minimum).

By creating an account on the petitions website, a resident will be able to collect signatures electronically, link to their petition from their blog or website, and receive automatic e-mail updates of new signatories.

Hard copies of petitions submitted to the council will be scanned and put on the SCDC website, so electronic signatures can be added to these as well.

Councillor Tom Bygott, portfolio holder for policy and performance, said:

This is a fantastic way for residents to let us know their views on individual issues.

This doesn’t seek to replace the traditional petition, but complement it.

Being in an electronic forum makes it easier for people to submit petitions and collect signatories.

Full guidelines are available from SCDC’s Democratic Services or in the SCDC Constitution, Part 5, Petition Scheme. Contact Holly Adams, petitions officer, on 01954 713030 for more details.