Petitions and questions: how to have your say at the council

Council meetings can seem remote, but there are several ways for Birmingham residents to raise issues, ask questions and influence decisions. Here is a simple guide.

Contact your councillors

Birmingham has 101 councillors representing 69 wards. Your councillors are there to represent you, whichever party they belong to. You can find their contact details on the council's website by entering your postcode, and many hold regular surgeries where residents can meet them.

Start a petition

Residents can start a petition, either on paper or online through the council's e-petitions system. Petitions can be presented to full council, and those with enough signatures can trigger a debate or a response from the relevant cabinet member.

Watch meetings

Full council meetings take place at the Council House on Victoria Square and are open to the public, unless confidential items are being discussed. Many meetings are also broadcast online, so residents can watch from home. Agendas and reports are published in advance on the council's website.

Ask a question

Members of the public can submit questions at some meetings, subject to rules on deadlines and subject matter. The council's constitution sets out how this works.

Respond to consultations

The council consults on many proposals, from the budget and the Local Plan to changes to roads and services. Consultations are listed on the council's website, and responses are considered before decisions are made.

Scrutiny committees

Overview and scrutiny committees examine the council's decisions and performance. They sometimes invite evidence from residents and community groups, and anyone can suggest a topic for them to look at.

Complaints

If something has gone wrong with a council service, residents can use the council's complaints procedure. If they are not satisfied with the result, they can take the complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.