NEWPORT City Council is set to bring in a new policy to deal with petitions more effectively.

Currently the council does not have a policy in place, but this must change following Welsh Government guidance.

The new policy could allow petition leaders to speak at council scrutiny meetings.

Leader of the council’s Conservative Group, Matthew Evans, said this would be “healthy for democracy” and provide better communication between residents and the council.

At a Democratic Services Scrutiny Committee meeting held on Wednesday, March 30, it was agreed the decision to allow a petition leader to speak at a meeting would be made by the chairman or woman.

Another proposal for the policy is that a petition must have a minimum number of signatures before the council acknowledges it. Gareth Price, head of law and standards, proposed a minimum of 20 signatures.

But, committee chairman Charles Ferris said that “one size does not necessarily fit all” when it comes to petitions.

Mr Evans, who also represents Allt yr yn, suggested a percentage of signatures from one area may be a better indicator of the importance of petitions rather than a set number, adding that this could help avoid wasting officers’ time.

Trevor Watkins, who represents Tredegar Park, said: “Petitions that are deemed unacceptable – the leader of the petition should be told why it’s not being considered.”

The details of the policy will now be finalised before being presented to the council at the Annual General Meeting, held on May 17.