Friday, 8 September 2017
Introduction
A local authority can make a policy or funding commitment by passing a motion.
We have written a draft motion for you to take to your council, which lays out ways for your council to commit to creating Space for Cycling.
The following is a guide to working with your council to get the motion passed. Remember, local authorities differ massively, treat the following as a guide, not a set of instructions.
Process
Any councillor can submit a motion for debate at a council meeting. In most cases, for the motion to be debated, it must be seconded by another councillor.
Most local authorities require a motion to be voted on by all councillors. For it to pass, at least 50% of councillors must vote in favour.
In some local authorities motions can be passed by the cabinet or executive without going to a full council meeting. The same process of requiring 50% of cabinet members to vote in favour applies.
As political process differ, it may be worth double checking with your council’s democratic services to check the precise political processes at your council.
First steps
Your first step is to find a councillor who is willing to take this motion forward. For advice on which councillors we suggest approaching first – and what to say to them – see our guide to communicating with your council.
The support of the largest party is key to getting a motion passed, so we would suggest approaching sympathetic councillors from this group first. (More below)

Working with your council to pass a Space for Cycling motion | Cycling UK
Friday, 8 September 2017 Introduction A local authority can make a policy or funding commitment by passing a motion. We have written a draft motion for you to take to your council, which lays out ways for your council to commit to creating Space for Cycling. The following is a guide to working with your… [Read More]