Public Questions

Any person living, working or studying in the borough of Cheltenham can ask written questions of councillors at a council meeting :

  • The Mayor (at Council)
  • The Leader (at Council or Cabinet)
  • A Cabinet Member (at Council or Cabinet)
  • Chairs of committees (at Council or at the relevant committee)

How to ask a public question at a council meeting

  1. Use the online form or email [email protected]to submit your question(s) which must arrive no later than midday on the seventh working day before the day of the meeting (for example, if the meeting is on a Wednesday, your question must be received by midday on the Monday of the previous week). The agendas for public meetings will be published on the council website at least five working days before the meeting.
  2. No member of the public or any organisation may submit more than two written questions to any one meeting. If it is an extraordinary meeting of council (this is set up to consider a specific matter), then your question must relate to that issue.
  3. Your question must concern a matter which affects the borough or for which the council has responsibility.
  4. You will receive an automated email confirming receipt of your question which will then be considered for approval under the rules of the council’s constitution. If accepted, it will be forwarded to the relevant councillor to prepare a response. You will be advised of this, and asked whether you intend to attend the meeting in person.
  5. Your question(s) will be added and published as a supplement to the relevant committee agenda. Please note your name will be made public but not your address. The response to your question will be published by 11.00am on the morning of the meeting and emailed to you.
  6. If you attend the meeting, you will be encouraged to have both the question and the councillor’s response taken as read unless you request that either be read out in full. There is an overall time limit of 30 minutes for public questions (although this can be extended at the discretion of the Mayor or Chair).
    7. There will be no discussion on any question.
  7. If you attend the meeting you may ask one supplementary question of the councillor who replied to your original question and relating to the original question or the response. This must be a question rather than a comment on the response. Answers to supplementary questions are given as direct verbal answers, or provided by email after the meeting if the councillor is unable to give an instant response.
  8. All questions and answers and supplementary questions and answers will be recorded in the minutes and made available to the public on the website.
  9. If you do not wish or are unable to attend the meeting, you can follow proceedings on our YouTube channel.

Further information

The rules for public questions are set out in Part 2 of the council's constitution. If you are having any difficulty or need advice, please contact Democratic Services on 01242 264246 or by emailing [email protected].

There are special procedures for public speaking at Planning and Licensing committees. You can read the guidance for speaking at planning committee and the guidance for licensing committee.

Under the General Data Protection Regulations, we are required to advise you why we collect your name and address so please read our privacy statement.

Please also be advised that Council and Cabinet meetings will be available on the council’s YouTube channel for a period of six months.  These recordings are stored for four years in line with our data retention procedures.

Please be aware that CCTV and audio recording is now in operation, and the footage and recordings will be held by the council for five months. For more information please consult our privacy notice.