Bristol e-Petitioner Lessons learned from the day to day management of an e-petitions website Michael Brewin Bristol City Council Consultation Team

Petitioning Petitions have a constitutional basis: members of the public have a democratic right to petition their council Petitions inform debate and can have positive outcomes that lead to change. They can:  bring an issue to the attention of the council for them to consider  demonstrate strong public approval or disapproval to something that the council is doing

e-Petitioner: A growing online opportunity

What are e-Petitions? Way for people to gather support for issues online Petitioner can provide information, photos, links Comes with discussion forum for each petition Council promotes the service in general Petitioners promote their issues Creates a central space for all petitions

Benefits of e-petitioning Easy to use:  Can be started, read and signed on line  Provides background information and links  Accessible: More open and visible than paper  Can leave for future update and progress  Feedback provided on the site Opportunities for interaction:  Seeking clarity and addressing uncertainty  Engaging in informed debate  Checking status and progress

The Process Petition details submitted ~ online/paper Confirmation Moderation Conclusion Submission to council Progress update

Starting the e-petition Providing background information Initiating the discussion (not essential) Promoting and encouraging support Submitting the petition to the council Lead petitioner is responsible for…

City Council support by… Checking validity and suggesting rewording Providing help about how to publicise Moderating discussions and writing reports Making contact with ward councillors if required Giving guidance on how to submit Asking for feedback/report on progress

Reports to the lead petitioner 3 Documents sent to lead petitioner:  Briefing  List of signatures  of those to be kept informed Briefing includes:  Confidence that the signatures are valid  Analysis of signatures by location  Analysis of discussions

Engagement: so far e-petitions since % by citizens, 35% by councillors Over 28,500 signatures Over 650 comments ~ for and against Biggest response: Against call for Banksy removal (3187): Councillor Recycling plastics petition (4867): Councillor In house Home Care Services (7923): Citizen

Engagement: Number of e-Petitions by Year

Engagement: Most supported e-petitions

Engagement: Most discussed e-Petitions

Case Study Recycling Plastics The petitioner requests that Bristol City Council collects plastic for recycling within the black box collection scheme Cllr Muriel Cole

Case Study Recycling Plastics Ran for 9 weeks 4,687 signatures, 32 comments. Strong support for recycling collections evident Petition submitted to Council and referred to the Executive Member for Sustainable Environment and Neighbourhoods for consideration and response

Quotes from Discussion Any initiative to recycle plastics has to be welcome, and certainly looking at the activities of other cities, counties and countries indicates that BCC can do more Given that plastics constitute a significant proportion of 'black-bag' waste and that Local Authorities are required to reduce the amount going to landfill to 35% of 1995 levels by 2020, it seems to be an obvious course of action and long overdue

Impact Recycling Plastics Council reviewed options. Decided too expensive to collect Petition used in negotiations with supermarkets Increased recycling facilities from 7 to 38 sites

Case Study Banksy Art Removal

The petitioner requests that Bristol City Council rejects calls from Conservative Cllr to remove the Banksy painting on Park Street at significant expense, and instead keeps it as a popular and amusing asset to the city for so long as Bristol residents continue to support it

Background Conservative Cllr called for Banksy to be prosecuted, and his work removed from the grade II listed building in Park Street Followed a poll of 500 residents, 97% of whom wanted the work to remain ‘Petition needed to ensure the work is protected from a vocal minority who do not seem to be interested in art or the opinion of most Bristol residents’

Banksy Art Removal Ran for 13 weeks  3,196 signed the e-petition  59% from within the Bristol area  28% from other UK locations  1.5% from outside the UK  11% missing postcode  National and international media enquiries

Impact Banksy Art Removal Majority of discussion (73%) were for, 21.6% were against. 5.4% neutral Drew attention to benefits to the city: financial, tourism and social Submitted to Council The art will remain

Lessons learned Attracts publicity ~ be prepared for media interest Appeals to citizens and councillors ~ currently more citizens Discuss as details submitted ~ seek legal advice on content if needed

Lessons learned Ensure Councillors and Officers kept informed when petitions go on line Ensue all aware of discussion forum.The place to challenge, support and keep others informed Ensure good links with Democratic Services and council procedures Administration can be time consuming

Lessons learned Can impact on decision making processes Can improve citizen engagement in democratic process:..it's fabulous - makes it easy for busy working people to get a voice in local government - very much appreciated :-) Remember ~ customer focused service “The technology is great, but the most impressive part of the process was the superb service I got from the team at BCC - nothing was too much trouble”