Stay informed

Local events, initiatives, and news

Your Community

Across the borough

Find out what's on in Southwark

Southwark Presents

News in Southwark

Read the latest news

News in Southwark
Back

Petition scheme

How to create an e-petition.

A petition is a statement about a local issue, supported by the signatures of local residents or those directly affected. 

It can be submitted by anyone of any age who lives, works or studies in Southwark.

We welcome petitions and recognise that petitions are one way you can let us know your concerns.

Create an e-petition.


You or a councillor can present a petition at:

  • a local multi-ward forum
  • the cabinet
  • other council committees 
  • council assembly

Petitions should be submitted at least 10 clear working days before the meeting. Paper petitions can be sent to:

The Proper Constitutional Officer

Constitutional Team

London Borough of Southwark

PO Box 64529

London

SE1P 5LX

View the e-petitions currently available to sign.

What happens next?

After you submit your petition, we’ll send you an acknowledgement within 10 working days of receipt.

This acknowledgement will set out what we plan to do with the petition.

Petitions can also be presented to some meetings of council assembly, to cabinet, to other council committees and to multi-ward forums.

The meetings at which petitions can be presented take place four times a year.

View the dates and times of the meetings at which petitions can be presented.

The number of signatures you require for your petition to be debated at a meeting depends on which meeting it is:

  • 1500 signatues for council assembly
  • 500 signatures for cabinet
  • 250 signatures foe multi-ward forums (local issues)

At the meeting, the petition organiser will be given five minutes to present the petition. The petition will then be discussed by councillors for a maximum of 15 minutes.

The councillors will decide how to respond to the petition at this meeting. They may decide to:

  • take the action the petition requests
  • not to take the action requested for reasons put forward in the debate
  • commission further investigation into the matter by a relevant committee

You can also submit a petition to hold an officer to account at the overview and scrutiny committee or relevant scrutiny sub-committee. The number of signatures required is 500.

Our response depends on what you ask for and how many signatures it contains. 

We’ll consider what alternative action we can take, for example:

  • holding a meeting with you
  • referring the petition to a cabinet member or officer

Where the issue is one on which the council's cabinet is required to make the final decision, the councillors will decide whether to make recommendations to inform that decision.

The petition organiser will receive written confirmation of this decision.

The following senior officers can be called in to give evidence for a petition:

  • Chief Executive
  • Strategic Director of Finance and Governance
  • Strategic Director of Children's and Adults' Services
  • Strategic Director of Environment and Leisure
  • Strategic Director of Housing and Modernisation

For more information about presenting a petition to the council please refer to the Southwark Council's petition scheme document.