Parishioners called for a Parish wide questionnaire at extraordinary Parish Meeting, who owns the completed forms

Question

Parishioners called for a Parish wide questionnaire at an extraordinary Parish Meeting which again they arranged, who owns the completed forms ??  The six members of the public who called the Meeting and drafted the questionnaire or the Parish Council who's clerk organised the mailing and receipt of the forms??

The subject matter of the questionnaire is a contentious one, it is about proposals to site a nuclear waste facility on a redundant Gas terminal which residents were promised would be returned to agriculture upon decommissioning.   The site on the Lincolnshire coast was offered  by the county council for consideration by the developer Nuclear Waste Services.  The six parishioners who instigated the poll currently hold the completed forms, the parish council have said at the annual Parish Council Meeting that the results are of no consequence ( there were  85% of respondees who voted against the proposals)
Now the parish council are asking for the forms to be given over to them,   should we comply?  we are concerned because the chair of the parish council supports the scheme and has a place on the developers working group.??  We have not thus far completed an analysis, the questionnaire contained much more detail than a straightforward yes and no. We intend to share results with all decision makers in the process as well as our local elected representatives.

Answer 1

There’s plenty to dissect within that post, not least of which the 85% quote - it’s rather questionable to use such figures unless measured by % turnout.
Anyway, the old saying possession is 9/10s of the law might reasonably apply.
You’ve got it, they want it, just say no, what are they going to do?

Or, copy it all and give them the copy (or the original as you see fit)

Or tell them they can pay for copying if they want a copy.
PC chair on the developers working group - might not be inappropriate but sounds iffy....

Comments

My feelings exactly, roundagain,  ps the 85% quoted was the figure applied to the 51 % who responded,  the PC are saying that only 42% are against implying that the non responders are for! Minefield for those of us brought up to trust governments

Answer 2

Its probably helpful to breakdown the post into manageable chunks.
1) So just to confirm the public exercised there right for your parish/town to assemble (in addition to the annual parish/town assembly/meeting of the parish)?
2) Did the assembly resolve to ask the Parish Council (remembering that as its not a Parish Council Meeting as such no "decisions" are binding on said council but often do carry degree of "weight") to consider a request to carry out a public consultation on this contentious subject.
3) Did said Council as part of a future council meeting agenda consider said request and agree to carry out said consultation (agreeing to fulfil the request said assembly). If the survey was Council let the data must be kept by said Council (so retained by the proper officer (Clerk) of said Council.