East Devon District Council could soon be moving into the twenty-first century by allowing residents to create petitions online.
At present, anyone wanting to submit a petition to the council has to put pen to paper, but an online alternative could be ready by the end of May.
This week the council’s overview committee heard the authority had been working with the same company that created a digital petition system for Exeter City Council.
People wanting to organise a petition will use the council’s website. Once it has been verified, they will be sent a link to distribute to anyone who wants to sign it, whilst also running a paper-based petition simultaneously. The council will collate results.
Cllr Yehudi Levine (Liberal Democrat, Dunkeswell and Otterhead) welcomed the move to digital, but queried a suggestion that petitions should relate to East Devon “more than the general public nationally”.
“I was recently a signatory of a petition about the roll-out of rural broadband and this is very important to the people of East Devon, but it is equally important nationally,” he said.
“And mobile signal is difficult to get in East Devon, and so is an issue locally, but also one nationally.”
She continued: “Perhaps we could emphasise that petitions can be about issues that are important to East Devon residents but don’t have the comparison against the public nationally.”
Andrew Melhuish, head of democratic services, said he would review the wording, but emphasised that petitions should essentially relate to local services, buildings, or issues that the council has a responsibility for or ability to affect.
Cllr Brian Bailey (Conservative, Exmouth Littleham) asked whether the council would be spending lots of money on the system, but Mr Melhuish said it is being funded within existing resources.
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