Agenda Item No. 5 WEST DISTRICT COUNCIL AUDIT AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE: THURSDAY 26 JUNE 2014 REVIEW OF PARLIAMENTARY POLLING DISTRICTS AND POLLING PLACES REPORT OF THE HEAD OF DEMOCRATIC SERVICES (Contact: Keith Butler, Tel: (01993) 861521) (The Committee’s decisions on this matter will be resolutions)

1. PURPOSE To update Members on the requirement to conduct a review of the Parliamentary Polling Districts and Polling Places within , to put in hand the necessary initial steps, and to note the suggested timetable for the review.

2. RECOMMENDATIONS (a) That the statutorily required review of the Parliamentary Polling Districts and Polling Places within West Oxfordshire be carried out; (b) That, in accordance with the statute, the Acting Returning Officer for the Parliamentary Constituency of be requested to submit his representations on the review, to include information as to the location of polling stations (both existing and proposed) within Polling Places (both existing and proposed); (c) That the information in this report as to the processes and the timetable for the review be noted; and (d) That, for the reasons set out in in paragraph 3.6, consultation responses and representations be considered at a special meeting of the Committee in November 2014, to be arranged following liaison with the Chairman of the Committee and notified to Committee members as soon as possible.

3. BACKGROUND 3.1. Sections 18A and 18B of the Representation of the People Act 1983 require that the Council must (i) divide its area into polling districts for UK Parliamentary elections; (ii) designate a polling place for every polling district; and (iii) keep the polling districts and polling places under review. 3.2. The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 amended the 1983 Act by the amendment of Section 18C to require that Authorities must complete a review within the period of 16 months from 1st October 2013, and undertake and complete subsequent reviews within the period of 16 months beginning on 1st October of every fifth year after that. 3.3. The first part of the review consists of the publication of a Notice of the Review, and requesting the Acting Returning Officer to make representations to the Council, which must include information as to the location of polling stations (both existing and any proposed) within Polling Places (both existing and any proposed). The Council is then required to publish these representations and to invite representations from such persons thought to have particular expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for persons with varying disabilities. Representations would also be sought

Item No. 5, Page 1 of 8 from political parties within the Constituency, the various political groups on the Council and from Town & Parish Councils and Parish Meetings. 3.4. The existing polling districts and polling places are included at Appendix A, for the information of the Committee. 3.5. As stated in paragraph 3.2 above, the review has to be completed within the period of 16 months beginning with 1st October 2013 and the suggested timetable referred to in paragraph 3.6 below and in Appendix B would comply with this and enable any changes to be effective (i) from publication of a revised electoral register on 1 December 2014; and therefore (ii) for the Parliamentary General Election and District and Parish Council Elections scheduled to take place on Thursday 7th May 2015. 3.6. The timetable takes into account the need for an adequate period for consultation and the consideration of responses, which means that a report will not come back to this Committee until after its meeting scheduled for 25 September 2014. In addition, the Electoral Registration Officer is under a statutory duty to publish a revised version of the register no later than 1 December 2014, meaning that it is desirable that the outcome of the review has been agreed prior to that publication date. Accordingly, because the Committee is not scheduled to meet again until 11 December it is my intention to liaise with the Chairman with a view to calling a special meeting during the first half of November, and this is reflected in recommendation (d) above.

4. ALTERNATIVES/OPTIONS 4.1. The review is statutorily required, so there is no option other than to undertake it and to complete the review by the end of January 2015. 4.2. The Committee could choose to vary the timetable as it saw fit, subject to the review being completed within the statutory period.

5. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS The only direct financial implications arising from this matter relate to the necessary publishing/advertisement of the proposals in due course. These are mandatory, and are anticipated to be in the region of £1,000 and will be accommodated within existing budgets.

6. RISKS Failure to carry out a review would be a breach of the Council’s statutory duties.

7. REASONS To comply with the statutory requirement to conduct a review of polling districts and polling places.

Keith Butler Head of Democratic Services

(Author: Keith Butler, Tel: (01993) 861521; EMail: [email protected]) Date: 16th June 2014

Background Papers: None

Item No. 5, Page 2 of 8 Appendix A WITNEY COUNTY CONSTITUENCY Parliamentary Polling Districts and Polling Places Polling District Parishes and other areas within the Polling District Polling Place FA Alvescot The Village Hall, The Walk, Alvescot FB Ascott-under- Ascott-under- The Tiddy Hall, Shipton Road, Ascott-under- Wychwood Wychwood FC Asthal Asthal The Memorial Hall, Minster Road, Leigh FD Aston Aston, Cote, and Chimney The New Village Hall, Cote Road, Aston FE Bampton Bampton The Village Hall, Market Square, Bampton FF Black Bourton St Mary the Virgin Church, Road, Black Bourton FG Bladon Church Room. Church Street, Bladon FH Blenheim Blenheim The Town Hall, Market Place, Woodstock FI Brize Norton The Elder Bank Hall, Station Road, Brize Norton FJ Broadwell Broadwell The Old School, Broadwell FK Bruern The Village Hall, Shipton Road, Milton-under- Wychwood FL Burford Burford St John the Baptist Church, Church Green, Burford or The Warwick Hall, Church Green, Burford FM Carterton North West Carterton (Rock Farm Ward) The Methodist Hall, Burford Road, Carterton No. 1 FM2 Carterton North West Carterton (Shillbrook Ward) The Army Cadet Force Hut, Road, No. 2 Carterton FM3 Carterton North East Carterton (Upavon Ward – part) (Less that portion of the The Methodist Hall, Burford Road, Carterton No. 1 Upavon Ward of Carterton included in Carterton North No. 4 Polling District) FM4 Carterton North East Carterton (Upavon Ward – part) (That portion of the Upavon Carterton Community Centre, Shilton Park, No. 2 Ward of Carterton indicated on a map deposited at West Carterton Oxfordshire District Council Offices) FN Carterton South No. 1 Carterton (Gateway Ward – part) (Less that portion of the The Town Hall, Alvescot Road, Carterton Gateway Ward of Carterton included in Carterton South No. 2 Polling District)

Item No. 5, Page 3 of 8 Polling District Parishes and other areas within the Polling District Polling Place FN2 Carterton South No. 2 Carterton (Gateway Ward – part) (That portion of the Gateway The Town Hall, Alvescot Road, Carterton Ward of Carterton indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) FN3 Carterton South No. 3 Carterton (Milestone Ward) The Town Hall, Alvescot Road, Carterton FO Cassington The New Village Hall, The Green, Cassington FP Chadlington The Memorial Hall, Chapel Road, Chadlington FQ Charlbury The War Memorial Hall, Browns Lane, Charlbury FR Chastleton The Village Hall, West Street, FS Chilson The Memorial Hall, Chapel Road, Chadlington FT Chipping Norton The Town Hall, Chipping Norton FU Churchill Churchill The Village Hall, Church Road, Churchill FV Clanfield Clanfield The Carter Institute, The Green, Clanfield FW Combe Combe The Reading Room, The Green, Combe FX Cornbury and The Memorial Hall, Chapel Road, Chadlington Wychwood FY Cornwell Cornwell The Village Hall, West Street, Kingham FZ Crawley Crawley The Village Hall, Middletown, Hailey GA Curbridge Curbridge The Parish Hall, Main Road, Curbridge GC Ducklington The Village Hall, Road, Ducklington GD Enstone The New Parish Hall, Enstone GE Eynsham Eynsham Village Hall, Back Lane, Eynsham GF Fawler Fawler Manor, Main Street, Fawler GG Fifield Fifield Fifield Parish Hall, High Street, Fifield GH Filkins and The Carter Institute, Filkins GI Finstock The Village Hall, Well Hill, Finstock GJ Freeland Freeland The Village Hall, Wroslyn Road, Freeland GK Fulbrook Fulbrook St John the Baptist Church, Church Green, Burford or The Warwick Hall, Church Green, Burford GL Glympton The Village Hall, Wootton GM Grafton and Radcot Grafton and Radcot The Village Hall, Filkins Road, Langford GN Great Tew The Tew Centre, Ledwell Road, Great Tew GO Hailey Hailey The Village Hall, Middletown, Hailey GP Hanborough The Pavilion, Playing Field, Roosevelt Road,

Item No. 5, Page 4 of 8 Polling District Parishes and other areas within the Polling District Polling Place GQ Hardwick with Hardwick with Yelford The Village Hall, Rack End, Standlake GR Heythrop The Village Hall, Choicehall Road, GS Holwell Holwell The Entrance Hall, The Dower House, Westwell GT Idbury Fifield Parish Hall, High Street, Fifield GU Kelmscott The Morris Memorial Hall, Kelmscott GV Kencot The Old School, Broadwell GW with Kiddington with The Village Hall, Wootton Asterleigh GX Kingham Kingham The Village Hall, West Street, Kingham GY Langford Langford The Village Hall, Filkins Road, Langford GZ Leafield The New Village Hall, Lower End, Leafield HA Lew Lew The Parish Hall, Main Road, Curbridge HB Little Faringdon The Village Hall, Filkins Road, Langford HC Little Tew The Tew Centre, Ledwell Road, Great Tew HD Lyneham Lyneham The Beaconsfield Hall, Shipton-under-Wychwood HE Milton-under- Milton-under-Wychwood The Village Hall, Shipton Road, Milton-under- Wychwood Wychwood HF Minster Lovell St Kenelms Hall, Brize Norton Road, Minster Lovell HG North Leigh The Memorial Hall, Park Lane, North Leigh HH Northmoor Northmoor The Village Hall, Northmoor HI Over Norton Over Norton The Village Hall, Choicehall Road, Over Norton HJ Ramsden Ramsden The Memorial Hall, High Street, Ramsden HK Rollright The Village Hall, HL Rousham The Village Hall, Medcroft Road, HM Salford Salford The Village Hall, Salford HN Sandford St. Martin Sandford St. Martin The Parish Hall, Sandford St. Martin HO Sarsden The Village Hall, Church Road, Churchill HP Shilton Shilton The Old School, Church Lane, Shilton HQ Shipton-under- Shipton-under-Wychwood The Beaconsfield Hall, Shipton-under-Wychwood Wychwood HR South Leigh The Village Hall, Church End, South Leigh HS Spelsbury The War Memorial Hall, Charlbury Road, Spelsbury HT Standlake Standlake The Village Hall, Rack End, Standlake

Item No. 5, Page 5 of 8 Polling District Parishes and other areas within the Polling District Polling Place HU Stanton Harcourt The Millennium and Memorial Hall, Stanton Harcourt HV Steeple Barton Barton Memorial Sports and Social Club, Worton Road, Middle Barton HW Stonesfield The Village Hall, Field Close, Stonesfield HX Swerford The Village Hall, Swerford HY Swinbrook The Village Hall, Swinbrook HZ Tackley Tackley The Village Hall, Medcroft Road, Tackley JA Taynton Taynton The Village Hall, Taynton JB Westcot Barton Westcot Barton Barton Memorial Sports and Social Club, Worton Road, Middle Barton JC Westwell Westwell The Entrance Hall, The Dower House, Westwell JD Witney Central No. 1 Witney (Central Ward – part) (That portion of the Central The Ceewood Hall, Fettiplace Road, Witney Ward of Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JD2 Witney Central No. 2 Witney (Central Ward – part) (That portion of the Central Tower Hill School, Moor Avenue, Witney Ward of Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JE Witney East No. 1 Witney (East Ward – part) (That portion of the East Ward of Wood Green School, Woodstock Road, Witney Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JE2 Witney East No. 2 Witney (East Ward – part) (That portion of the East Ward of Blake CE School, Hill Road, Witney Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JF Witney East No. 3 Witney (East Ward – part) (That portion of the East Ward of Blake CE School, Cogges Hill Road, Witney Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JF2 Witney East No. 4 Witney (East Ward – part) (That portion of the East Ward of Hall, Northfield Farm Lane, Witney Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JG Witney North No. 1 Witney (North Ward – part) (That portion of the North Ward Committee Room 1, Council Offices, of Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire Woodgreen, Witney District Council Offices) JH Witney North No. 2 Witney (North Ward – part) (That portion of the North Ward Witney CP School, Hailey Road, Witney of Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council)

Item No. 5, Page 6 of 8 Polling District Parishes and other areas within the Polling District Polling Place JI Witney South No. 1 Witney (South Ward – part) (That portion of the South Ward The Burwell Hall, Thorney Leys, Witney of Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JJ Witney South No. 2 Witney (South Ward – part) (That portion of the South Ward Langdale Hall, Langdale Gate, Witney of Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JK Witney South No. 3 Witney (South Ward – part) (That portion of the South Ward The Burwell Hall, Thorney Leys, Witney of Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JL Witney West No. 1 Witney (West Ward – part) (That portion of the West Ward of The Burwell Hall, Thorney Leys, Witney Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JM Witney West No. 2 Witney (West Ward – part) (That portion of the West Ward of West Witney Primary School, Edington Road, Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire Witney District Council Offices) JM2 Witney West No. 3 Witney (West Ward – part) (That portion of the West Ward of West Witney Primary School, Edington Road, Witney indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire Witney District Council Offices) JN Woodstock No. 1 Woodstock (part) (That portion of the Parish of Woodstock The Town Hall, Market Place, Woodstock indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JO Woodstock No. 2 Woodstock (part) (That portion of the Parish of Woodstock The Common Room, Ryegrass, Woodstock indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council offices) JP Woodstock No. 3 Woodstock (part) (That portion of the Parish of Woodstock The Town Hall, Market Place, Woodstock indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council Offices) JQ Woodstock No. 4 Woodstock (part) (That portion of the Parish of Woodstock The Common Room, Ryegrass, Woodstock indicated on a map deposited at West Oxfordshire District Council offices) JR Wootton Wootton The Village Hall, Wootton JS Worton Worton The Parish Hall, Sandford St. Martin

Item No. 5, Page 7 of 8 Appendix B Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places

Timetable

Activity Date Dispatch of initial report to Audit and General Purposes Committee 18th June 2014 re: Review

Meeting of Audit and General Purposes Committee 26th June 2014

Publication of Initial Advertisement and contact of user groups 30th June 2014

Completion of Acting Returning Officer’s Representations 30th June 2014

Publication of ARO Representations and invitation of 1st July 2014 responses/representations from disability groups, political parties and groups and Parish and Town Councils and Parish Meetings (and publication of second Advert)

Deadline for receipt of responses 3rd October 2014

Meeting of the Audit & General Purposes Committee to consider November 2014 representations made, finalise the review and make the Order

Publication of Order and correspondence and date of order 28th November 2015

Publication of Revised Version of the Register of Electors, which 1st December 2014 would take account of any changes to polling districts

Item No. 5, Page 8 of 8