Raise an issue with our Petitions Board

You can raise an issue with us in a formal process called making a petition.

Petitions are heard by the Council Petitions Board, who look at each one and decide what action to take on it.

They are separate from appeals or decisions we’ve already made.

Previous petitions have included issues about dog fouling, safety fences, school renovations, and installation of public pathways.

You can see petitions already heard on each of the Petitions Board meeting notes (Committees and Councillors website).

You can raise a petition as individual or on behalf of an organisation.

Councillors cannot raise petitions.

You can petition about issues which affect you or other Renfrewshire residents or about what we are doing.

Petitions can also be about services provided by other organisations, such as the police and health services. However, we have a limited say in what these organisations do.

What you cannot petition for

We do not accept petitions about:

• planning or licensing
• where there are already procedures in place to consider objections and appeal against decisions
• personal or business interests
• individual councillors or members of council staff
• employees’ terms and conditions of employment
• people or organisations breaking the law or codes of practice
• a decision we or any board, committee, or joint committee has made in the past 6 months.

We do not accept petitions that are:

• made only to cause trouble
• the same or very similar to petitions we have considered in the past 12 months
• designed to influence support for one or more political parties
• could damage a person’s reputation or discriminate against them.

The petition must be signed by one person, who will be the main petitioner.

It needs to include:

• your name[TP1] , address, phone number and email address
• the text of the petition, which should clearly show the issue and what action you’d like us to take
• any extra information you have that supports your petition - on no more than 4 sides of A4 paper
• any action you’ve already taken to deal with the issue – for example if you’ve already approached the relevant Council department, another organisation, or individual
• the names of other petitioners, if there are any.

You must not put offensive or inappropriate language in your petition.

Your personal details will not be published on the Committees and Councillors (CMIS) website.

Download and complete the petition form and send it to us:

• by email at petitions.cs@renfrewshire.gov.uk 
• by post at
  The Head of Corporate Governance
  Department of Finance and Resources 
  Renfrewshire Council, 
  Renfrewshire House
  Cotton Street
  Paisley
  PA1 1TR
• in person at Renfrewshire House.

If you need the petition form in another format, contact us: 

• by email at petitions.cs@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• in writing to the
  Democratic Services Manager
  Renfrewshire House
  Cotton Street
  Paisley
  PA1 1TR.

What happens next

When we receive your petition, we’ll check if it:

• has all the required information, such as your contact details
• meets the criteria.

If it’s incomplete, we’ll contact you.

If your petition meets our criteria, we’ll submit it to the Petitions Board. We’ll tell you if your petition is going to the Board and give you a reference number. 

You’ll then be invited to join an online Petitions Board meeting where your petition will be heard. We’ll give you5 working days’ notice of the date of the meeting.

If your petition does not meet our criteria, we’ll submit a summary to the Petitions Board, and they’ll decide whether to consider your petition or not.

Petition Board meeting

We’ll give you an agenda for the meeting.  We’ll try to give an approximate time for when you can speak to the Board. You’ll have to wait until the Board is ready to hear your petition. There’ll be members of the Audit, Scrutiny and Petitions board and council staff in the meeting. 

Making your statement

As the principal petitioner, you’ll be invited to speak to the Board in support of your petition and to answer any questions the Board members may have members of the Board may have about it.

We will ask you to make a statement, no longer than 10 minutes, to describe and explain your petition. 

You can also have a supporter with you, and they can speak on your behalf, if you wish. You or your supporter may also be asked questions by the board. 

Most meetings are open to the public, However, if there are items that are private, we’ll ask members of the press and public to leave.

The Petition Board’s decision

 At the meeting we’ll make a decision on your petition and do one of the following:

• take no action and give you the reason for this
• refer the petition to a director of the council or a policy board
• refer the petition to another organisation, if the petition relates to that organisation.