Petitions
If there’s an issue you feel strongly about you can start or sign a petition about it. These normally call for:
- a change in council policy
- a committee to investigate a particular issue
- something to be debated at a Full Council meeting
Sign a petition
The more signatures a petition has, the more likely it is councillors will take notice of it.
Everyone who signs a petition should give their name, address and signature.
Anyone over the age of 12, who lives, works or studies within Essex can sign a petition.
You can view all open petitions and add your signature to any you support.
Rules for petitions
We will not consider petitions that are:
- offensive or frivolous
- about planning or licensing applications or policy
- outside the Council’s responsibility
- about individual councillors or council staff
- similar to a petition already open
There’s detailed guidance on submitting petitions, and other ways to start petitions in our petitions policy.
Essex County Council Petitions Policy (PDF, 151.02 KB)
Start a petition
If there is not a petition on the issue you are concerned about, you can start your own. If you start a petition, you are known as the ‘lead petitioner’.
A petition must include:
- the name and contact details of the lead petitioner
- a short, clear statement explaining what the petition is about
- a statement explaining what action the you want councillors to take
What happens after you start a petition
What happens to a petition depends on how many signatures it gets. If it gets fewer than 10 signatures, no action is taken.
If a petition has more than:
10 signatures
A member of Council staff will write a response to the lead petitioner.
2,000 signatures
An Executive Director will write a response to the lead petitioner. The petition may also be considered by an Overview and Scrutiny committee.
7,500 signatures
A Cabinet Member will write a response to the lead petitioner.
14,000 signatures
A Cabinet Member will write a response. If the Cabinet Member does not agree to take the action suggested in the petition it will be considered at a meeting of the Full Cabinet. The lead petitioner may be invited to speak at this meeting.