Petitions
This page provides guidance on how to submit a petition, what matters can be considered by the Council, and how your petition will be dealt with.
Can I raise a petition?
The City and District Council welcomes petitions from those who live, work or study in the area.
Can I sign a petition?
Anyone who lives, works or studies within the St Albans City and District can sign a petition.
What constitutes a signature?
By ‘signature’ we mean the name and address of a person living, working, or studying in the District. The address must be of the place that the person lives, works, or studies.
What topics can be the subject of my petition?
Your petition must relate to matters for which the District Council has powers or duties, or which may affect residents and those working or studying in the District.
Your petition could cover one of the following:
Council Housing, Sheltered Housing, Housing Advice and Homelessness
Environmental Health, Food Safety and Pest Control
Culture and Community Development, Sport and Recreation
Refuse Collection and Recycling
Local Planning and Building Control including the Local Development Framework and the conservation of buildings and areas
Council Tax Collection including for Hertfordshire County Council, the Fire and Police Authorities and Parish Councils
Business Rates Collection
Housing Benefits
Licensing
Hertfordshire County Council is responsible for other services not listed above. If your petition relates to a County Council responsibility we will let you know and provide you with information how to submit it to the County Council.
If the petition is about something over which the Council has no direct control we will consider making representations on behalf of the community to the relevant body. The Council works with a number of local partners through the St Albans and District Local Strategic Partnership and where possible will work with our partners to respond to your petition.
What must my petition include?
Your petition must include:
A clear and concise statement covering the subject of the petition. It should state what action the petitioners wish the Council to take.
The name and address of any person supporting the petition, and on a paper petition, their signature
Signatories must provide their name and address of their place of residence, or the address of their place of work or study within the District.
Your petition should be accompanied by contact details for the petition organiser. If this is not identified, we will contact signatories to agree who should act as petition organiser.
Your petition must also contain a minimum of 30 signatures who appear in the current Register of Electors for the District to be considered valid
The Council will not take action on a petition which we consider to be vexatious, abusive or otherwise inappropriate.
How do I submit my petition?
You can submit your petition either in paper form, electronically as an e-petition, or via e-mail.
The petition, if not submitted through the Council’s ePetition, must contain a single list of signatures.
Paper petitions should be addressed to:
Democratic Services Manager
St Albans City and District Council
District Council Offices
St Peter's Street
St Albans
Herts AL1 3JE
An acknowledgement will be sent to the petition organiser within 10 working days of receipt. We will let the organiser know what we plan to do with the petition. Petitions submitted via the Council’s e-petition function (but not the petition organiser’s details) will also appear on the Council’s website.
How will the Council respond to my petition?
Your petition must contain a minimum of 30 signatures who appear in the current Register of Electors for the District to be considered valid. Valid petitions may be received at meetings of Full Council (but not Annual Council), or at the relevant Service & Scrutiny Committee. The Chief Executive will report to the meeting where the petition is presented, unless the petition is asking for a senior Council officer to give evidence.
Petitions with 30 to 500 signatures
If your petition contains fewer than 500 signatures, but more than 30, it may be presented to Full Council or a relevant Service & Scrutiny Committee. The petition organiser will:
Have three minutes to present the petition.
There will be no debate following the presentation of the petition.
Petitions with 500 or more signatures
The petition organiser will:
Have five minutes to present the petition at the Full Council or a relevant Service & Scrutiny Committee meeting.
The petition will then be discussed by Councillors for a maximum of 15 minutes.
Your petition may ask for a senior council officer to give evidence at a public meeting. If your petition requests this, the relevant officer will give evidence to the relevant Service & Scrutiny Committee (should it choose to examine the matter).
When might these procedures not apply?
Other procedures will apply if your petition relates to a planning or licensing application, is a statutory petition or relates to a matter where there is already an existing right of appeal.
Who can I contact for further information?
Further information is available on request from Democratic Services: democraticservices@stalbans.gov.uk.
