THIS REPORT RELATES COUNCIL TO ITEM 8 ON THE AGENDA

STIRLING COUNCIL CIVIC SERVICES

26 SEPTEMBER 2002 NOT EXEMPT

REVIEW OF POLLING PLACES

1 PURPOSE

1.1 To seek approval of the premises detailed in Appendix 1 of this report as designated polling places for future elections.

2 SUMMARY

2.1 Stirling Council is required to divide its local government area into polling districts and to designate the polling places for those polling districts.

2.2 During the Council recess the opportunity was taken to review polling places prior to the annual canvass of electors so as to ensure that any changes are in place for the Scottish and Local Government Elections in 2003.

2.3 On 15 August 2002, the Council agreed in principle, designated polling places as detailed in an Appendix to a report by the Director of Civic Services and further that the Appendix be issued to Community Councils and appropriate School Boards for further consultation. Following this consultation a list of designated polling places would be submitted to this meeting of the Council for final approval.

2.4 A response to the second phase of the consultation process is attached as Appendix 2.

3 RECOMMENDATION(S)

3.1 It is recommended that the Council approve the recommendations, with or without amendment, in respect of designated polling places for future elections as set out in Appendix 1.

4 CONSIDERATIONS

4.1 On 15 August, 2002 the Council approved, in principle, an Appendix (which incorporated the views of Elected Members, Community Councils and, where appropriate, Schools Boards) setting out designated polling places for future elections and agreed that details of these be sent to Community Councils and School Boards for formal consultation. It was also agreed that following this period of consultation, a list of designated polling places would be submitted to the September meeting of Council for final approval so ensuring that any changes were in place for the Scottish Parliamentary and Local Government elections in May 2003.

4.2 Immediately following the Council meeting, the Report and the Appendix were subsequently issued to Community Councils and the appropriate School Boards with a deadline for the receipt of comments by 11 September 2002. All Polling Places have now been visited in conducting the Review.

4.3 As previously advised, the proposals include some privately owned or grant aided premises for use as designated polling places. On 15 August 2002, the Council agreed that authority to approve changes in the designation of polling places where such premises prove to be unavailable or unsuitable, or where otherwise necessary in the interests of efficient conduct of the elections be delegated to the Director of Civic Services.

4.4 The relevant election regulations require that polling places must:-

• provide for all electors in the polling district such facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances;

• so far as is reasonable and practicable, provide reasonable access to voters who are disabled or infirm.

4.5 In considering any proposed changes to the polling places, Officers have looked at the following key issues:-

• accessibility to the polling place and polling station(s) for all electors and, in particular, those who are wheelchair users or have other mobility difficulties; • adequacy of the parking facilities; • central convenience of the premises for all electors; • minimising the use of primary schools where possible and the associated disruption caused to children’s education; • reduction in the number of polling places where possible; • identify specific room/rooms to be used as polling stations in the designated polling places.

4.6 Since the last review of polling places, new legislation has come into force making provision for postal voting on demand. Electors can request a postal vote for a particular election, a specific period of time, or indefinitely.

4.7 It has not always been possible to identify suitable premises for use as polling places within each polling district. Appendix 1 includes the use of some premises which are located close to ward boundaries but lend themselves to use by voters in more than one polling district.

4.8 Arising from the further consultation exercise four further changes are proposed to that submitted to the Council on 15 August 2002 which involves (1) designating Village Hall as a Polling Place instead of Buchlyvie Primary School, (2) retaining St Mary’s R.C. Primary School, Kildean, Stirling as a Polling Place as opposed to Raploch Nursery (3) designating St Mark’s Church Hall, Raploch as a Polling Place instead of the Ochil Centre; and (4) retaining Public Library as a Poling Place instead of Drymen Village Hall.

4.9 As previously advised if the Council approves the recommendation to close the polling place at Primary School and transfer the electors to

File Name: N:\DEMSUPP\NewDecisions\Scouncil\Reports\SC20020926Rev of PP.doc Village Hall, the Electoral Registration Officer will write to all electors affected advising them of the change and offering them a postal vote.

4.10 If the recommendations contained in Appendix 1 to the report are approved then the undernoted Primary Schools will no longer be required for polling purposes:-

Buchlyvie Primary School Brig O’Turk Primary School, Trossachs Inversnaid Primary School Primary School Kincardine in Menteith Primary School Primary School Primary School

5 POLICY IMPLICATIONS

5.1 There are no direct policy implications arising from this process. The policy of reviewing polling places is in line with the Council’s strategic aims of social inclusion and promoting local democracy.

6 CONSULTATIONS

6.1 All Elected Members, Chief Executive, Directors of Community Services and Children’s Services, Community Councils and those School Boards affected by the current voting arrangements were invited to comment/make suggestions on the suitability of the existing designated polling places that serve their Ward.

6.2 Following the Council meeting on 15 August 2002 the report and the Appendix were sent out to Community Councils and School Boards on 19 August 2002 for further consultation. Responses to the recommendations were requested by 11 September 2002;

6.3 The proposal to use Buchlyvie Village Hall was made after the end of the consultation period and the Local Member, School Board and Community Council have therefore been advised

7 RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

7.1 Staff resources required to conduct the review of polling places has been provided within existing staff allocations.

7.2 There maybe additional resource implications associated with the provision of temporary or permanent disabled access to some polling places.

8 BACKGROUND PAPERS

8.1 Representation of the People Act 1983, Local Government etc () Act 1994 and Representation of the People Act 2000;

8.2 Stirling Council – 15 August 2002 – Paragraph SC 257

File Name: N:\DEMSUPP\NewDecisions\Scouncil\Reports\SC20020926Rev of PP.doc Author(s) Name Designation Tel No/Extension

Ann Dromgoole /Joyce Allen Committee Officers 443296

Approved by Name Designation Signature

Bob Jack Director of Civic Services

Date 14 September 2002 Reference

File Name: N:\DEMSUPP\NewDecisions\Scouncil\Reports\SC20020926Rev of PP.doc APPENDIX 2

COMMENTS RECEIVED DURING FURTHER CONSULTATION.

WARD 4 RAPLOCH

The Director of Children’s Services had expressed reservations about designating Raploch Nursery as a Polling Place on the basis that the service delivered at the Nursery is to very young children/parents and is most critical to the area’s needs. If the Nursery was designated as a Polling Place then Children’s Services would need to provide an alternative venue for clients using the Nursery on polling days, causing disruption to the service, parents and children.

On this basis, taking all factors into account and the relevant election regulations the recommendation is that the designated polling place continues to be St Mary’s RC Primary School, Kildean, Stirling.

In respect of the request by Councillor Hendry that St Mark’s Church Hall be used as a Polling Station instead of the Ochil Centre for Polling District S530, Officers have looked at the possibility of providing a temporary ramp at St Mark’s Church Hall to accommodate the use of the Hall. The Scottish Executive would only fund up to 50% of the costs. Technical Officers have inspected the area and have reported that there is a change of level from the tarmac access road of about 700 mm consisting of 3 steps then an entrance platt and then another step at the threshold to the building. The doors to the Church Hall open out over the threshold. However it would be possible to put in a temporary ramp although the doors would have to be opened before installing the ramp and could not be closed until the ramp was removed. Due to the doors opening out over the entrance, a temporary platt would also have to be formed. It is estimated that the cost of temporary ramps and platts would be in the region of £1,200 due to the difficult configuration. The Church Hall is centrally located within the Ward.

On balance it is recommended that St Mark’s Church to be the designated Polling Station for Polling District S530.

WARD 10

St Ninian’s Primary School Board sees no difficulty with retaining the School as a Polling Place.

WARD 11

Following an inspection by Building Services it is now recommended that the fire door at St Mary’s Primary School, be used as the entrance to the Polling Station as opposed to the Main entrance and the left hand door entrance to the School. This will save electors having to walk a good distance through the School to access the Polling Stations that can be located nearer this entrance. There is no restriction on the fire door being left open for the purpose of voting.

WARD 13 – POLMAISE-

A member of Broomridge Community Council had suggested that the Crawford Hall, Broomridge be designated as a Polling Place to accommodate some of those citizens in Polling District S596 from the Wallace Park area who currently vote at St Mary’s Primary School, Bannockburn.

The Crawford Hall was visited during the first phase of the Review and this suggestion was not considered feasible. In addition, it would involve the creation of a new Polling District and Polling Place exclusively for the use of the affected electors. The scope of this review does

File Name: N:\DEMSUPP\NewDecisions\Scouncil\Reports\SC20020926Rev of PP.doc not include a review of Polling Districts. It is recommended that the designated Polling Place for these electors continues to be St Mary’s Primary School, Bannockburn.

WARD 20 –CAMPSIES

Comments are awaited from the Elected Member, Buchlyvie School Board and Buchlyvie Community Council on the proposal to designate Buchlyvie Village Hall as a Polling Station instead of the Primary School.

WARD 21 STRATHENDRICK –

Drymen Community Council requested the status quo in respect of Drymen Library. The Community Council share Councillor O’Brien’s concerns about parking at the Village Hall, access, the Hall’s positioning on a steep hill, the lack of a suitable dropping off point and the fact that the move had not been sought by anyone in the Village that they are aware of.

Libraries, Heritage and Cultural Services are happy to continue to offer the Library as Polling Place.

There is off street parking and a disabled access to the Village Hall and it is considered to be an improvement on Drymen Library from a Health and Safety perspective.

However, taking all factors into consideration, including the fact that maintaining the status quo raises no other significant issues, and the strength of local feeling, it is recommended that the designated Polling Place continue to be Drymen Library.

File Name: N:\DEMSUPP\NewDecisions\Scouncil\Reports\SC20020926Rev of PP.doc