Cardiff Council Petition & Public Question Guide

Cardiff, Wales residents and organisations can raise issues with Cardiff Council by submitting a petition or asking a public question at a meeting. This guide explains how to prepare and submit petitions, how public questions proceed at council and committee meetings, who handles submissions, and practical next steps so your issue is considered by councillors and officers.

Overview

Cardiff Council publishes its petition arrangements and guidance for participation on the council website; the council also provides an online e-petitions portal and guidance on asking public questions at formal meetings. For technical submission, and to confirm current thresholds and timescales, consult the official petition pages and meeting guidance below^[1].

Preparing your petition or public question

Before you submit, make sure your petition or question is focused, states the remedy requested, and includes contact details for the lead petitioner or questioner. If you intend signatures, confirm whether an online e-petition is required and whether an identity verification step exists on the council portal.

• Draft clear text: state the issue, the action you want, and a short title.
• Collect supporting evidence and attachments you may upload or supply to committee clerks.
• Confirm any submission deadlines for the next council or committee meeting.
• Identify a single contact for follow-up and include a postal or email address.

At meetings and responses

Public questions are normally taken at the start of council or committee meetings under the council procedure rules; the person asking may be invited to read a question or may receive a written response from the responsible officer. Full procedural details and any limits on question length or speaker time are published by the council on its public participation pages^[3].

Penalties & Enforcement

Petitions and public questions are participation mechanisms rather than regulatory offences. The council pages that govern petitions and public questions do not set out fines for petitioning or asking questions.

• Fines: not specified on the cited page^[1].
• Escalation: not specified; council responses may include referral to officers, referral to committee, or a council debate depending on outcome documentation on the council site^[1].
• Non-monetary sanctions: not applicable to petitions or public questions; remedies are administrative (responses, actions, or reports to committee) unless separate statutory offences are involved and dealt with under other legislation.
• Enforcer and contact: Democratic Services/Committee Services manage petitions and questions; contact details and submission routes are published on Cardiff Council pages and the e-petitions portal^[1].
• Appeal/review: decisions about petition handling or whether an item is placed on an agenda are administrative; the cited council pages do not specify a formal appeal court route or statutory time limits for review on those pages and say where review routes apply they will be listed on the relevant guidance page^[1].

Applications & Forms

The council provides an online e-petitions portal for submitting electronic petitions and a public participation guide for submitting questions to meetings. Specific form names, fees, or mandatory attachments are not detailed on the petition landing page; the e-petitions portal is the usual submission route for online petitions^[2].

Action steps

• Draft your petition or question and gather any supporting documents.
• Submit via the e-petitions portal or follow the public questions submission procedure for the meeting you wish to address.
• Note any publication deadlines for the agenda and submit early to ensure inclusion.
• Follow up with Democratic Services if you need confirmation or assistance with formats.

FAQ

How do I submit an e-petition to Cardiff Council?

You can submit an e-petition through the council e-petitions portal; see the council petition guidance for technical steps and portal link^[2].

Can I ask a question at a council meeting?

Yes. The council publishes rules for public questions at meetings, including where to send your question and any time limits; consult the public participation guidance^[3].

Will the council reply, and how long will it take?

Response times and whether an item becomes a committee agenda item depend on council procedures; the petition and meeting pages explain typical outcomes and responses^[1].

How-To

1. Clarify the objective and draft a concise petition text with a clear request to the council.
2. Collect supporting material and, if using signatures, decide whether to use the e-petition portal or a paper petition.
3. Check the next meeting dates and submission deadlines on the council meetings page.
4. Submit the petition through the e-petitions portal or send your public question to Democratic Services by the published deadline.
5. Monitor council responses and follow up with Democratic Services if you need clarification on next steps or outcomes.

Key Takeaways

• Use the official e-petitions portal for online petitions and consult meeting guidance for public questions.
• Submit early to meet agenda publication deadlines and increase the chance of inclusion.
• Contact Democratic Services for procedural help or if you need a non-standard submission route.

Help and Support / Resources

• Cardiff Council contact and switchboard
• Cardiff Council petitions landing page
• Cardiff Council ModernGov (meetings and e-petitions portal)
• Public participation guidance and how to have your say

1. [1] Cardiff Council petitions landing page
2. [2] Cardiff e-petitions portal
3. [3] Cardiff public participation guidance