As an individual or part of a group

Petitions

Where a number of people share a view, concern or request that they want to raise, they may decide to sign a petition. You can find out more about our petition scheme and how to petition the council via paper petition and using our new ePetition on line service here. 

Attending meetings

You have the right to attend council meetings, including the full council, the cabinet and scrutiny committees. The only exception to this is where confidential information is likely to be presented. These items are clearly marked on the agenda. For more information on attending meetings please follow the meetings, minutes and agendas link on the left hand side of the main council and democracy web page.

Local elections

Elections are your chance to vote for the councillor that you feel best represents your interests locally. This is, of course, an important part of your involvement in local democracy, but it is only the start. You are able to influence council decisions in a number of different ways. The information below shows how you can become involved in decisions that affect services you use.

Consultation and your views

Council services are there for you. When you use one of our services, please let us know what you think of how the service was provided and how it could be improved. It is likely that you will, at some stage, be asked for your views about council services and the money spent by the council. For example, councils seek views on their budget and levels of council tax. Your responses and the results of consultation will be used to help make decisions, so your views do count!