On the matter of petitioning local authorities, as far as I can see Poole council seems to be the only council that does not have up-front petitioning guidance clearly posted on the borough website.

On the 20 borough sites I have looked at typically you get a petition webpage “welcoming message”. For instance the New Forest page says: “The Council welcomes petitions from people who live, work or study in the area”.

But not Poole council. The critical information explaining how petitions work is buried deep within the Constitution. Not listed anywhere, not indexed, not in any content list.

The fact is the 2009 Democracy Act provided for a national petitioning scheme.

But then these statutory rights and duties were all swept-away under the 2011 Localism Act.

The requirement for councils to provide petitioning schemes became discretionary.

In the case of Poole council they have then exercised this discretion to bury the critical petitioning scheme deep within their web site.

There is an e-petition portal (not indexed or in any contents) but no outcome guidance.

And this whole matter critically important when, in the end, petitioning is all that is left for the general public when authorities fail to listen.

As currently in the case of Ashley Road public toilets, councillors’ failure to oppose close-down ends in the public having to run a large scale petition.

Jump through no end of council hoops whilst having no idea where, if anywhere, this might lead. In this case, in my view, most likely nowhere.

Jeff Williams Jubilee Road, Parkstone