A way to get involved
Contributing to a petition is a proactive way to get involved with your Council and you can raise a petition about any of the services we provide.
Petitions provide Councillors with an opportunity to engage in an informed debate with residents, to consider reviewing and refining Council policy and practice.
A petition will be considered for presentation if it is supported by at least 50 people – all of whom must live in the Falkirk Council area and be over 12 years of age – and meet the criteria set out below.
If you are unsure whether your petition meets the requirements, please contact the Chief Governance Officer by emailing petitons@falkirk.gov.uk before you begin gathering signatures.
You can submit a petition (described as a proposal) through our online engagement platform: Participate+.
Please note that the following process primarily refers to petitions submitted using our Participate+ platform. A user guide for signing up to Participate+ and submitting a proposal can be viewed below:
- Downloads
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Participate plus user guide
PDF file, 1.7 MB
Paper petitions
Alternatively, if you do not wish to use our online platform, completed paper petitions of 50+ signatories can be submitted using the downloadable form below.
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Downloadable petition form
DOCX file, 27.2 KB
Paper petitions can be completed, scanned and emailed to:
Or posted to:
Petitions criteria
Petitions must be submitted by one person (know as the Principal Petitioner) who is a Falkirk Council area resident. The Principal Petitioner will be our point of contact and will receive all communications regarding the petition.
When signing up to Participate+, the Principal Petitioner will need to provide us with:
- their name, place of residence, and email address
- the issue they are concerned about and what they want the Council to do, and
- what they have already done to try and settle the matter
Please do not include any personal information that you'd not want to be made public - as all submitted information will be available online as part of your petition.
When a petition is received, it will be reviewed, and within 10 working days discussed with the Principal Petitioner if need be. The Chief Governance Officer will work with the Principal Petitioner to help ensure that the petition will be eligible for presentation once it has reached the 50-signatory threshold.
Once the Chief Governance Officer is happy that the petition meets all the necessary requirements, it will be publicly available for people to sign (via an 'upvote' on Participate+) for 30 days.
A petition will not be accepted if it includes the following:
- defamatory statements
- offensive or inappropriate language
- details that could be used to identify, damage or discriminate against a person
- information protected by a court order or relating to an ongoing court case
- a matter that is commercially sensitive, confidential or could cause personal distress or loss, or
- a matter not within the Council's powers and remit.
Once a petition has reached 50 signatories, and upon expiry of the 30 day live period, the Chief Governance Officer will determine the appropriate Council committee for the petition to be presented at.
Petitions will not be presented to a Council body (committee) if they relate to the following:
- the same or very similar to petitions considered within the past 6 month period
- a decision of the Council or a Committee within the previous 6 month period
- a matter already being considered or scheduled to be considered by the Council or a Committee, and
- planning, licensing or other matters where objections and appeals against decisions are dealt with by another process.
Starting a petition
Once you are comfortable that your petition meets the criteria list above, you can set up a petition (proposal) online through our engagement platform Participate+.
How long until people can sign?
It can take up to 10 working days for a submitted petition (proposal) to be processed and published on Participate+.
Once the petition has been approved, it will be published on Participate+ where it will remain available for 30 days.
Who can sign the petition?
Anyone who lives in the Falkirk Council area and is over 12 years of age can sign a petition.
You need to register with Participate+ to sign a petition (proposal). Registering on Participate+ involves providing your name, email address and creating a password.
You will also be asked to provide your connection to the Falkirk Council area and the Council Ward where you live.
Attending a committee meeting
Once a petition has been supported by 50 signatures, the Chief Governance Officer will determine the appropriate Council body (committee) where the petition will be heard. The Chief Governance Officer, having determined the meeting at which the petition would likely be considered, will contact the Principal Petitioner and advise them of their opportunity to speak about the petition at the meeting.
The Petition Principal can address the Committee on their own, or with others - up to a maximum of 5 people. A supporter can speak on your behalf if necessary. You will be invited to speak for up to 10 minutes. The petition may fall later on the agenda, and the Committee can decide to move the item forward so that you are heard at the start of the meeting, or they may ask you to wait and be heard at the relevant point on the agenda.
Any other members of the public who wish to speak on the matter will need to make a deputation request. You can only make a deputation request once the petition is shown on the agenda of the committee where it will be heard - all committee agendas are published 10 working days before a meeting.