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Part 2 Article 3 - Citizens and the Council

3.01 Citizens' Rights

Citizens have the following rights. Their rights to information and to participate are explained in more detail in the Access to Information Rules in Part 4 of this Constitution:

1. Voting and petitions. Citizens on the electoral roll for the area have the right to vote and sign a petition to request a referendum for an elected mayor form of Constitution.

2. Information. Citizens have the right to:

   1. Contact their local councillor about any matters of concern to them;
   2. Obtain a copy of the Constitution;
   3. Attend meetings of the Council and its committees except where, for example, personal or confidential matters are being discussed;
   4. Find out, from the executive's forward plan, what major decisions are to be discussed by the executive or decided by the executive or officers, and when;
   5. Attend meetings of the executive where key decisions are being discussed or decided;
   6. See reports and background papers, and any record of decisions made by the Council and executive;
   7. A member of the public has the right to see the agenda, minutes and reports for any meeting (except a private meeting of the Cabinet). These records will be available for 6 years after the date of the meeting. In respect of cabinet meetings, the public may see a record of the decisions and the reasons for them. The same applies to key decisions taken by officers.
   8. Attend meetings of scrutiny panels.

3. Participation. Citizens have the right to participate in the Council's question time* and they can also contribute to investigations by overview and scrutiny committees. They can also participate through the Community Planning Process.

   *At every meeting 15 minutes is set aside for the public to ask questions or make statements relating to the business of the Council. Responses are given at the meeting or within 10 working days. Also in respect of regulatory matters the public can speak in an objector/supporter capacity during the meeting. At the discretion of the Chairman the public may participate in specific debates. The Council welcomes participation by its citizens in its work. For further information on your rights as a citizen, please contact Head of Democratic Service 01722 434408

4. Complaints. Citizens have the right to complain to the Council about:

   1. A failure to comply with stated policies
   2. Delays in undertaking work
   3. Lack of Courtesy
   4. Inconsistency
   5. Failure to keep appointments
   6. Bias or inequality

   Citizens can also -

   1. Complain to the Ombudsman if they think the Council has not followed its procedures properly. However, they should only do this after using the Council's own complaints process;
   2. Complain to the Standards Board for England if they have evidence which they think shows that a councillor has not followed the Council's Code of Conduct; and
   3. Inspect the Council's accounts and make their views known to the external auditor.

3.02 Citizens' Responsibilities

Citizens must not be violent, abusing or threatening to councillors or officers and must not willfully harm things owned by the council, councillors or officers, whether in meetings or otherwise.