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Home , Bramshott, Buriton, Conford, Liss Forest, West Tisted

NON EXEMPT

EAST DISTRICT COUNCIL

COUNCIL 17TH January 2018

POLLING REVIEW 2018 OF Lianne Richards, Elections Manager

FOR DECISION

Portfolio: Cllr Nick Drew, Portfolio Holder for Governance and Organisational Development

Head of Service: Brian Wood, Head of Customer Services

Key Decision: No

1.0 Purpose of Report

1.1. Electoral Services has undertaken a review of Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations within East Hampshire, following the boundary review that was carried out by the Local Government Boundary Commission of .

1.2. The purpose of the report is to highlight any changes and recommendations made by Electoral Services during the review period and agree the recommendations before it is taken to Council in January 2019.

2.0 Recommendation

2.1. That the following changes to Polling Districts, Polling places and Polling stations within East Hampshire are agreed: -

and – to split into 3 polling Districts. The North of Bramshott and Liphook to go to Village Hall for their polling Place. (see appendix B – Map)  Bramshott and Liphook – Change to boundary between AM and AN, (see Appendix B).  – due to parish ward changes, the polling districts have been changed to match these new ward boundaries.  Horndean – Polling place will be Jubilee Hall  Horndean Downs – Polling place will be All Saints Church Hall (TBC)  Horndean Kings & – Merchistoun Hall  Horndean Murray – Napier Hall  - due to town ward changes, the polling districts have been changed to match these new ward boundaries.  Petersfield Bell Hill – Polling place will be Air Training Cadets HQ, Bell Hill  Petersfield Causeway – Polling place will be Causeway house  Petersfield Heath – Polling place will be The Avenue Pavilion  Petersfield Ramshill – Polling place will be Petersfield Football Club (TBC)  Petersfield Rother – Polling place will be Petersfield Rugby Club / The Taro  Petersfield St Peter’s – Polling place will be The Avenue Pavilion.  Stroud – Due to White Rose closure, the polling place will be Stroud Church.  Whitehill - due to town ward changes, the polling districts have been changed to match these new ward boundaries.  Whitehill Chase – Polling place will be Forest Community Centre  Whitehill Hogmoor - Polling place will be Whitehill Village Hall  Whitehill Pinewood – Polling place will be the Phoenix Theatre, due to Pinewood Village Hall closure.

 All other Polling districts and Polling places will remain the same as 2017 elections, please see appendix c, for a list of polling stations for 2019.

 We will now have 78 polling stations, 2017 – 71, this means we have 62 polling places, 2017 – 59.

3.0 Executive Summary

3.1. Consultation was held throughout October following the District Boundary review; we contacted District Councillors, Parish councils, disability groups, Returning Officers and the public. (see appendix A) for responses.

3.2. More polling places are needed due to the boundary changes and increasing electorate for our area. More halls have been found, and more staff will be needed on the polling day.

3.3. The Electoral commission recommend that one polling station should not have more than 2500 electors, and therefore we have reviewed all our polling places and stations and made dual stations or found new halls where necessary.

3.4. Under sections 18A to 18C of the Representation of the People Act 1983 the council is under a duty to:

 Divide its area into polling districts for the purposes of parliamentary elections  Designate a polling pace for each such polling district (unless the entire polling district is treated as the polling place), and  Keep such polling districts and polling places under review.

3.5. Councillors will wish to note that it is the function of the council, and not the Returning Officer, to designate and periodically review the polling districts and polling places in its area. It is, however, the responsibility of the Returning Officer to provide adequate polling stations within the polling district/ polling place so designated by the Council. 4.0 Additional Budgetary Implications

4.1. There will be additional costs for the extra polling stations and staff, these have been included in the 2019/20 budgets, which will be going to Full Council in February 2019.

5.0 Background and relationship to the Corporate Strategy and Directorate Business Plan/s

5.1. Supports business plan for 2019-20.

6.0 Options considered and reasons for the recommendation

6.1. The polling review must be carried out between 1st October 2018 and January 2020. Due to the recent boundary review that will be implemented for the May 2019 elections, we have conducted a review now, to make sure all polling districts and Parishes are aligned and ready for the 2nd May 2019 elections.

7.0 Resource Implications

7.1. Financial Implications – There will be additional costs for the extra polling stations and staff, these have been included in the 2019/20 budgets, which will be going to Full Council in February 2019.

7.2. Human Resources Implications – additional staffing will be needed for the extra polling stations. In total we will need 78 Presiding Officers (PO), and 127 Poll Clerks (PC), an increase of 6 PO’s and 12 PC’s. To recruit additional staff, we will use internal team talk, weekly emails etc. and for external, a recruitment drive through Social Media.

7.3. The core team consists of a part time Elections Manager, two part-time Electoral Services Officers and one full time Electoral Services assistant. Additional hours will be worked as in previous years ensure all polling stations and changes are implemented and the election runs smoothly.

7.4. Other Resource Implication – Additional communications focusing on changes to polling stations, to make clear to electors where they need to go to vote. Ensuring we put the time and resources into making sure electors have accessible polling stations.

8.0 Legal Implications

8.1. Legal implications – Every relevant authority in the UK is responsible for dividing its area into polling districts

 The council is responsible for the review of Polling districts and places not the Acting Returning Officer or the ERO  The Acting Returning Officer is responsible for the allocation of polling stations  The review applies to the Parliamentary Constituency not the Local Authority, but the local authority deals with the area that is contained within their area

8.2. Relevant authorities must:

a) Seek to ensure that all the electors in the constituency have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances;

b) Seek to ensure that so far as is reasonable and practicable, the polling places they are responsible for are accessible to all electors, including those who are disabled, and when considering the designation of a polling place, must have regard to the accessibility needs of disabled persons

8.3. In addition, the polling place for a polling district must be within the area of the district unless special circumstances make it desirable to designate an area either wholly or partly outside of the polling district.

The polling place must also be small enough to indicate to electors in different parts of the polling district how they will be able to reach their designated polling station.

Should a relevant authority fail to designate a polling place, the entire polling district will be classed as the polling place for that district.

9.0 Risks

9.1. A risk register will be maintained for the Election Project, these are kept and reviewed regularly by the Electoral services core team.

9.2. A risk register is also held corporately which again is reviewed regularly.

10.0 Consultation

10.1. The Electoral Services team has completed a consultation exercise with Councillors, Parishes, Disability groups, the electorate and relevant Returning Officers. (see Appendix A for responses)

11.0 Communication

11.1. The polling review changes are included in the May 2019 Elections communications plan.

12.0 Appendices:

12.1. Appendix A – results from the polling review consultation 12.2. Appendix B – Map for Bramshott and Liphook 12.3. Appendix C – List of polling stations for 2019 13.0 Background Papers: None

Agreed and signed off by:

Monitoring Officer: 20th December 2018 S151 Officer: 20th December 2018 Director: 20th December 2018 Portfolio Holder: 21st December 2018

Contact Officer: Lianne Richards Job Title: Elections Manager Telephone: 01730 234370 E-Mail: [email protected]

Appendix A – Consultation results Q6 Do you have a suggestion for an alternative building to use as a polling station? I would not use the Methodist church hall as has been suggested, it has no parking on congested road.

Q7a - Do you feel that you get enough information about voting in the run up to an election - further comments Synopsis or summary on what the candidates or parties stand for and promise to deliver would be helpful It would be useful to have put the village name after the polling station. How many people know that the Three Horseshoes is in the Worldham ward? For me the polling station is fine. However as a Town Cllr I am aware that the elderly/inform have quite a trudge uphill to get to it. Also it is never properly signed from the main road. I have now mentioned this twice and at the last by-election still was not signposted. Some voters have said they gave up prior to voting as they could not find it or found it a struggle. It is these people who will probably not have access to this survey and thus their views will be lost.

Liss Parish Council Response - Liss Parish Council discussed this yesterday evening and wanted to report back that Liss Parish Council as a body is happy with the existing arrangements as regards the polling station in Liss. No adverse feedback has been received relating to the polling station and its location, aside from the odd grumble that there isn't a polling station nearer for residents in Rake. Appendix B – Map of Bramshott and Liphook Appendix C – List of Polling stations New New PD New PD Name Electors New District Ward Polling station AA Alton Amery 1831 Alton Amery Alton Community Centre AB Alton Ashdell 1864 Alton Ashdell St Mary's RC Church Hall AC Alton Eastbrooke 1937 Alton Eastbrooke St Mary's RC Church Hall AD Alton 2125 Alton Holybourne Holybourne Village Hall AE Alton Westbrooke 1957 Alton Westbrooke Alton Community Centre AF Alton Whitedown 2183 Alton Whitedown All Saints Parish Hall AG Alton Wooteys 2157 Alton Wooteys St John's Ambulance AH Beech 495 & Beech Village Hall

AI Bentley 936 , Bentley & Bentley Memorial Hall AJ Bentworth 464 Bentworth & Froyle Bentworth Jubilee Hall

AK Binsted NO.1 555 Binsted, Bentley & Selborne Binsted Sports Pavillion

AL Binsted NO.2 890 Binsted, Bentley & Selborne Jolly Farmer Public House Liphook Church Centre - AM Bramshott NO.1 2746 Bramshott & Liphook DUAL Liphook Millennium Centre - AN Bramshott NO.2 3234 Bramshott & Liphook DUAL AO Bramshott No.3 937 Bramshott & Liphook Conford Village Hall AP 641 Buriton & Buriton Village Hall AQ 395 & Chawton Village Hall Clanfield Memorial Hall - AR Clanfield 4557 Clanfield DUAL and Priors The White Horse Public AS Dean 104 , & Hangers House AT East Meon 970 Buriton & East Meon East Meon Village Hall AU 174 Ropley, Hawkley & Hangers East Tisted Village Hall Golden Pheasent Public AV Farringdon 548 Binsted, Bentley & Selborne House Four Marks Village Hall - AW Four Marks 3576 Four Marks & Medstead DUAL AX Froxfield NO.1 486 Froxfield, Sheet & Steep King George Memorial hall Froxfield NO.2 AY () 247 Froxfield, Sheet & Steep Privett Village Hall AZ Froyle 556 Bentworth & Froyle Froyle Village Hall BA 1989 Grayshott Grayshott Village Hall Whitehill Hogmoor & BB Greatham 632 Greatham Greatham Village Hall BC Hawkley 416 Ropley, Hawkley & Hangers Hawkley Village Hall BD Headley NO.1 2100 Headley Headley Village Hall BE Headley NO.2 2424 Headley St Francis Hall - DUAL Horndean BF Catherington 2015 Horndean Catherington Jubilee Hall BG Horndean Downs 2506 Horndean Downs All Saints Church Hall - DUAL Horndean Kings & Horndean Kings & BH Blendworth 3882 Blendworth Merchistoun Hall - DUAL BI Horndean Murray 2146 Horndean Murray Napier Hall

BJ Kingsley 530 Binsted, Bentley & Selborne The Kingsley Centre BK 239 Buriton & East Meon Langrish House Hotel BL 151 Bentworth & Froyle The Royal Oak BM Lindford 2112 Lindford Lindford Village Hall BN Liss 3817 Liss Liss Village Hall - DUAL BO Liss () 885 Liss Liss Evangelical Church BP Medstead 2047 Four Marks & Medstead Medstead Village Hall BQ 154 Ropley, Hawkley & Hangers Newton Valence Village Hall BR Petersfield Bell Hill 2111 Petersfield Bell Hill Air Training Cadets Hall

BS Petersfield Causeway 1917 Petersfield Causeway Causeway House BT Petersfield Heath 1500 Petersfield Heath Avenue Pavillion Petersfield Football Club TBC BU Petersfield Ramshill 2539 Petersfield St Peter's - DUAL BV Petersfield Rother 739 Petersfield Heath Petersfield Rugby Club BW Petersfield St Peter's 2143 Petersfield St Peter's Avenue Pavillion BX Ropley 1348 Ropley, Hawkley & Hangers Ropley Village Hall BY Rowlands Castle 2082 Rowlands Castle Rowlands Castle Village Hall Rowlands Castle BZ () 183 Rowlands Castle Rowlands Castle Village Hall Selborne Blackmoor Whitehill Hogmoor & CA Edge 120 Greatham Blackmoor Village Hall Selborne Oakhanger CB NO.1 131 Binsted, Bentley & Selborne Blackmoor Village Hall Selborne Oakhanger CC NO.2 224 Binsted, Bentley & Selborne Oakhanger Village Hall Selborne Oakhanger CD NO.3 539 Binsted, Bentley & Selborne Selborne Village Hall CE 362 Bentworth & Froyle Shalden Village Hall CF Sheet 721 Froxfield, Sheet & Steep Sheet village Hall CG Steep No.1 580 Froxfield, Sheet & Steep Steep Village Hall CH Steep No.2 212 Froxfield, Sheet & Steep Sheet village Hall CI Stroud 274 Buriton & East Meon Stroud Church CJ 133 Ropley, Hawkley & Hangers West Tisted Village Hall Forest Community Centre - CK Whitehill Chase 4812 Whitehill Chase DUAL Whitehill Hogmoor & CL Whitehill Hogmoor 3412 Greatham Whitehill Village Hall - DUAL CM Whitehill Pinewood 1150 Whitehill Pinewood The Pheonix Theatre CN Wield 195 Bentworth & Froyle Wield Village Hall

CO Worldham 291 Binsted, Bentley & Selborne The Three Horse shoes