Participate in Council and Committee Meetings

You can attend any council or committee meeting that is held in public and if you want to raise an issue at a meeting you can: 

• Ask a question 
• Present a petition 
• Make a speech (also called a deputation) 

 To take part you will usually need to let us know in advance and follow the rules set out in the council’s Constitution.  

If you are unsure how council and committee meetings work, or require any support in order to participate, you can email democratic.services@gloucester.gov.uk or telephone 01452 396203. 

Have a look at our list of Committees to find out which meeting is right for the issue you are interested in and check the Calendar for upcoming meeting dates. 

If you would like to support or object to a planning application at Planning Committee there is a separate process. 

Come to a meeting 

Most meetings are held in public and you are always welcome to come along and watch. No ticket is required and you do not need to tell us in advance. You may need to leave while a confidential issue is discussed and this will be clearly identified on the agenda for the meeting. 

Take part in a meeting 

 Ask a question 

• You need to tell us you want to ask a question by midday on the third clear working day before the meeting by emailing your question to democratic.services@gloucester.gov.uk (see the meeting agenda for the specific date) 
• You can attend and ask the question yourself, or ask for someone else to read it out for you. If you don’t attend the meeting, you will be sent a copy of the answer after the meeting. 
• The relevant Cabinet Member or Committee Chair will answer your question at the meeting. 
• You cannot ask a follow up question, but you can submit more than one question and, if there is time, you may be able to ask your other question/s. 

 Present a petition or make a deputation 

• You don’t need to tell us in advance if you want to present a petition or make a deputation, but it is helpful if you can. Letting us know in advance will ensure that you receive a response at the meeting. If you don’t let us know in advance, you may have to wait for a response to be provided after the meeting. 
• Your speech can be up to three minutes long. 

For more information please email democratic.services@gloucester.gov.uk or telephone 01452 396203. 

Privacy Notice: If you want to take part in a meeting, we will collect and use your name, address and email address for the purposes of facilitating your involvement. Your name only will be shared during the meeting in order to introduce you, but will not be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Your personal data will ordinarily be destroyed after the meeting, but may be used to take action against any participant who deliberately misuses or disrupts the proceedings.