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MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL To: Council Report Number: C/63/14 From: Corporate Manager – Elections and Date of meeting: 17 December 2014 Electoral Management REVIEW OF POLLING DISTRICTS, POLLING PLACES AND POLLING STATIONS 1. Purpose of Report 1.1 In accordance with the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013, every council in England and Wales must undertake and complete a review of all of the polling districts and polling places in its area. 1.2 Guidance produced by the Electoral Commission sets out the process for a review, and this has been followed. 1.3 The appendix to this report provides a list of the recommended polling districts, polling places and polling stations, showing the changes which have been made since the last review. 2. Recommendations 2.1 That the Council adopts the Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations as listed in Appendix A to this report. 2.2 That the Council notes the Polling Stations proposed by the Returning Officer as listed in Appendix A to this report. 3. Financial Implications 3.1 There are none. 4. Risk Management 4.1 This report is not linked with any of the Council’s Corporate / Significant Business Risks. 5. Consultations 5.1 Consultation has taken place with Parish and Town Councils, District and County councillors, the Acting Returning Officer and other interested parties. 6. Equality and Diversity Impact 6.1 Access to polling stations is a factor that is taken into account when deciding on a suitable location. 44 7. Shared Service / Partnership Implications 7.1 There are none. 8. Definition of terms 8.1 A polling district is a geographical area created by the sub-division of a UK Parliamentary constituency for the purposes of a UK Parliamentary election. 8.2 In England, each parish is to be a separate polling district, unless there are special circumstances. 8.3 A polling place is the building or area in which polling stations will be selected by the (Acting) Returning Officer. A polling place within a polling district must be designated so that polling stations are within easy reach of all electors from across the polling district. 8.4 A polling station is the room or area within the polling place where voting takes place. Unlike polling districts and polling places which are fixed by the local authority, polling stations are chosen by the relevant Returning Officer for the election. 9. Stowmarket 9.1 A Community Governance Review has been carried out, in respect of the boundaries and internal wards of Stowmarket. The report recommending changes is being presented to this meeting of Council. 9.2 Throughout the course of the review we have stressed that the District Council wards cannot be altered, so for District Council purposes, Stowmarket would remain split into 3 wards, represented by 7 District Councillors. 9.3 However, if the Council approves the recommendation of the Community Governance Review Working Group, the Town Council wards will change, and will not align with the existing District Council wards. 9.4 This will not affect the electors in the Stowmarket South (District Council) ward, which will align with the new Town Council ward of Combs Ford. 9.5 However, in the Stowmarket Central (District Council) ward, electors will be voting for Town Councillors in the new Town Council wards of St Peter’s and Chilton. 9.6 In the Stowmarket North District (District Council) ward, electors will be voting for Town Councillors in the new Town Council wards of St Peter’s, Chilton and Stow Thorney. 9.7 In order to facilitate this change, the Register of Electors, when published, will be split into more sections, and an additional polling station will be designated, at NRG Fitness, Creeting Road. 9.8 Publicity will be provided, closer to Polling Day, to explain which electors will be voting at different polling stations. 45 Appendices Title Location (a) Appendix A – Schedule of Polling Districts, Attached Polling Places and Polling Stations - 2014 Authorship: Emily Yule 01449 724694 [email protected] 46 APPENDIX A – MID SUFFOLK DC SCHEDULE OF POLLING DISTRICTS, POLLING PLACES AND POLLING STATIONS - 2014 B A C D F Recommended E Recommended Proposed Polling Polling Changes since Polling Place Returning Officer’s Comments Polling District Station Station previous review in as column C or within (A) : aligned with Electorate* at 2011 the following parish(es) (* Total electorate minus postal parish August 2014 (C) : combined polling voters) (W) : warded place Akenham (A) Claydon and Akenham Village Hall, Claydon 30 No change necessary. Akenham (C) electorate is too small to justify its own polling stations. Ashbocking (A) Ashbocking Meeting Room, Suffolk 240 No change necessary Wildlife Trust, Brooke House, The Green, Ashbocking Ashfield-cum-Thorpe Ashfield-cum-Thorpe Community Centre, 162 No change necessary (A) Ashfield-cum-Thorpe Aspall (A) Debenham and Aspall Dove Cottage, 39 High 37 No change necessary. Aspall 47 (C) Street, Debenham electorate is too small to justify its own polling station. Athelington (A) Horham and Old School, Horham 29 No change necessary. Athelington (C) Athelington electorate is too small to justify its own polling station. Bacton (A) Bacton Village Hall, Bacton 879 No change necessary Badley (A) Needham Market and The Lounge, Needham 45 Badley electorate is too small to Badley (C) Market Community justify its own polling station. Centre, School Street, Needham Market Badwell Ash (A) Badwell Ash Village Hall, Badwell Ash 580 No change necessary. Barham (A) Barham and Claydon Barham Scout and Guide 991 No change necessary. New polling station Hut, Kirby Rise, Barham used since 2011. Barking (A) Barking Village Hall, Barking 292 No change necessary. Battisford (A) Battisford Village Hall, Battisford 425 No change necessary B A C D F Recommended E Recommended Proposed Polling Polling Changes since Polling Place Returning Officer’s Comments Polling District Station Station previous review in as column C or within (A) : aligned with Electorate* at 2011 the following parish(es) (* Total electorate minus postal parish August 2014 (C) : combined polling voters) (W) : warded place Baylham (A) Baylham and Village Hall, Baylham 201 No change necessary Darmsden polled Darmsden (C) here since 2013. Bedfield (A) Bedfield Bedfield Sports Pavilion, 254 No change necessary. New polling station Long Green, Bedfield used since 2011. Bedingfield (A) Bedingfield Village Hall, Bedingfield 176 No change necessary. Beyton (A) Beyton White Horse Public 490 No change possible. Keep under House, Beyton review. Botesdale (A) Botesdale Village Hall, Botesdale 524 No change necessary Braiseworth (A) Thorndon and Village Hall, Thorndon 50 No change necessary. 48 Braiseworth (C) Braiseworth electorate is too small to justify its own polling station. Bramford (A) Bramford Loraine Victory Hall, 1,715 No change necessary Bramford Brome and Oakley Brome and Oakley (W) Village Hall, Brome 167/175 No change necessary. The (A) (W) (C) parishes are combined. Brundish (A) Brundish Village Hall, Brundish 143 No change necessary Burgate (A) Burgate Church Hall, Burgate 121 No change necessary Buxhall (A) Buxhall Village Hall, Buxhall 285 No change necessary Claydon (A) Claydon Village Hall, Claydon 1,515 No change necessary. Coddenham (A) Coddenham Community Sports Hall, 420 No change necessary Coddenham Combs (A) Combs and St Mary’s Church Hall, 496 No change necessary. Stowmarket South Poplar Hill, Stowmarket Cotton (A) Cotton Village Hall, Cotton 425 No change necessary B A C D F Recommended E Recommended Proposed Polling Polling Changes since Polling Place Returning Officer’s Comments Polling District Station Station previous review in as column C or within (A) : aligned with Electorate* at 2011 the following parish(es) (* Total electorate minus postal parish August 2014 (C) : combined polling voters) (W) : warded place Creeting St Mary (A) Creeting St Mary Village Hall, Creeting St 501 No change necessary Mary Creeting St Peter (A) Creeting St Peter Church Hall, Creeting St 195 No change necessary Peter Crowfield (A) Crowfield Village Hall, Crowfield 262 No change necessary Darmsden (A) Darmsden and Village Hall, Baylham 23 No change necessary. New parish created Baylham (C) Darmsden electorate is too small in 2013. to justify its own polling station. Debenham (A) Debenham Dove Cottage, 39 High 1,484 No change necessary. Street, Debenham Denham (A) Denham Village Hall, Denham 147 No change necessary 49 Drinkstone (A) Drinkstone Drinkstone Village Hall, 393 No change necessary. New polling station Drinkstone used since 2012. Earl Stonham (A) Earl Stonham Village Hall, Earl 440 No change necessary Stonham Elmswell (North) (A) Elmswell The Blackbourne Centre, 593 Size of electorate justifies two Elmswell polling stations. Elmswell (South) (A) Elmswell Wesley Hall, School 1,997 Size of electorate justifies two Road, Elmswell polling stations. Eye (A) Eye Town Hall, Eye 1,477 No change necessary Felsham (A) Felsham Village Hall, Felsham 348 No change necessary. Finningham (A) Finningham White Horse Public 312 No change necessary St Bartholomew’s House, Finningham Church used when White Horse was not available. B A C D F Recommended E Recommended Proposed Polling Polling Changes since Polling Place Returning Officer’s Comments Polling District Station Station previous review in as column C or within (A) : aligned with Electorate* at 2011 the following parish(es) (* Total electorate minus postal parish August 2014 (C) : combined polling voters) (W) : warded place Flowton (A) Flowton St Mary’s Vestry, The 83 No change necessary. Proposal Green, Flowton to combine with another polling station has been ruled out as there is no suitable combination within the Bramford & Blakenham Ward. Framsden (A) Framsden Mission Hall, Framsden 224 No change necessary Fressingfield (A) Fressingfield Sancroft Hall, 806 No change necessary Fressingfield Gedding (A) Felsham and Gedding Village Hall, Felsham 75 No change necessary. Gedding (C) electorate is too small to justify 50 its own polling station.