Two petitions will be presented to the Isle of Wight council this Wednesday evening for debate.
The first relates to a call for traffic lights at the junction of Forest Road, Betty Haunt Lane and Whitehouse Road, following the fatal road traffic incident in April this year. The petition, founded by Cameron Palin, has attracted almost 7,000 signatures.
The second petition relates to cuts to mental health services, with the planned closure of mental health day centres. Set up by Colleen Brannon, the petition, which calls for the council to rethink their plans, has attracted over 6,800 signatures.
No petitions if consultation underway
The local authority recently changed the rules on receiving and debating petitions, but one important change worth noting is that if the council are holding a public consultation on a particular issue, they will not not accept a petition in relation to it.
The procedure for receiving the debating the two petition is set out by the council as follows:
Forest Road
A petition of over 2,500 Island residents has been received. The petition asks:
That Full Council refer the request to instruct Island Roads to install traffic lights at the junction on Forest Road to Cabinet to consider all potential options when all relevant information including the outcome of the Police investigation is available
The procedure for dealing with the petition is: The petition sponsor, Cameron Palin, will have the opportunity to address the Council. (3 minutes maximum) and then the leader will be given opportunity to reply (3 minutes maximum).
Members will have 15 minutes to debate the matter. Leader to sum up (maximum 2 minutes) and then the petition as stated above will be voted upon.
Mental Health Centres
A petition of over 2,500 Island residents has been received. The petition asks:
That Full Council request Cabinet review the decision to reconfigure Mental Health day centres, to include retention of local drop-in centres as a key component of any improved, modernised and more widely promoted service.
The procedure for dealing with the petition is: The petition sponsor, Colleen Brannon, will have the opportunity to address the Council. (3 minutes maximum) and then the leader will be given opportunity to reply (3 minutes maximum).
Members will have 15 minutes to debate the matter. Leader to sum up (maximum 2 minutes) and then the petition as stated above will be voted upon.
Image: craftivist-collective under a CC BY 2.0 license
