The Local Government Act 2000 provides that electors in the council's area can petition the council to hold a referendum on whether a local authority should change to a different form of governance.
Such a petition must be signed by at least 5 percent of the local government electors in the local authority's area.
It is a legal requirement for the proper officer for each local authority area to publish the figure which represents 5 per cent of the number of local government electors in the area. This is referred to as the verification number.
In accordance with Regulation 4(1) of the Local Authority (Referendums) (Petitions & Directions) (England) Regulations 2000, as amended by The Local Authorities (Referendums)(Petitions)(England) Regulations 2011, the number that is equal to 5 per cent of the number of local government electors shown in the revised register of electors having effect on the 15 February 2025 is:
16,202
This figure will have effect for the purposes of determining the validity of Petitions presented from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026
pdf Publication of Verification Number: 2025 (10 KB)
pdf Publication of Verification Number: 2024 (10 KB)