How to present a petition to councillors
The council welcomes petitions as one way in which you can let us know your concerns.
Who can I present a petition to?
You can present a written petition to a meeting of the Cabinet, the council itself or one of the scrutiny or other committees. Your petition must relate to something for which the Cabinet, the council or the committee has responsibility.
How to present a written petition
Council meetings take place in person at County Hall. Meetings are also live-streamed online. The lead petitioner may choose to present the petition in person or via virtual attendance.
If you want to present a written petition at a particular meeting, you will need to notify Committee Services at County Hall and explain what the petition is about.
What you will need
Before you complete the application form below, you'll need to know:
- the name of the meeting
- the date of the meeting
- what you want to present.
You must complete the form by 9am ten working days before the meeting you wish to address. You must also email the petition to the committee officer named on the agenda by 9am two working days before the meeting.
A petition must be signed by at least 50 people who are residents or working in Oxfordshire, and the relevant postcode must be supplied for each name.
When asked 'What is your petition about?' on the form, please state if you prefer to address the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ by online connection.
A committee officer will contact you to facilitate your attendance whether in-person or virtually.
If you are unable to complete the online form, you can contact Committee Services at County Hall committeesdemocraticservices@oxfordshire.gov.uk and explain what the petition is about.
What happens to my petition?
When you present your petition at a meeting of councillors, you will be able to address the meeting for up to three minutes to explain what the petition is about.
If you have presented your petition at a meeting of council, the relevant Cabinet Member will have three minutes to respond to the petition and state whether it will be referred to Cabinet, the Cabinet Member or the relevant Chief Officer. They will be able to take a decision about what you have raised in your petition straight away only if it relates to an item that is already on the agenda for their meeting.