Allow the creation of e-petitions on council website

Do you think petitions are a powerful way of getting politicians and councillors to listen to the views of the general public?

Currently, local Redbridge residents can only create a paper petition on which they collect original penned signatures by going out to public events and asking people in person to sign if they agree.

An electronic petition (e-petition) is created on a secure website, like the Redbridge borough website ‘Redbridge i”, and ensures that each petition reaches a wider audience of potentially thousands of local residents via their home computers, public libraries and study centres etc. It could be available along with other services on our Local Authority website – ‘Redbridge i’.

Did you know that at least 75% of all 33 London boroughs have an e-petition facility on their local government website and that Redbridge is one of the few that has no e-petition facility on their website?

Having a properly functioning e-petition facility available for local residents on the local authority website; along with other common services, would open up a channel of communication and accountability between the council and the local residents on a level never before seen.