Spelthorne Borough Council

Public Consultation Document Polling District, Polling Places and Polling Stations Review

Daniel Charles Mouawad Spelthorne Borough Council Knowle Green Staines-upon-Thames TW18 1XB

11 October 2019

1 Background

Section 16 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006, introduced a number of changes to the Representation of the Peoples Act 1983 in respect of the way in which reviews of polling districts and polling places must be undertaken.

First Review

In compliance with the Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places (Parliamentary Elections) Regulations 2006, every Council in England and Wales must have undertaken and completed a review of all of the polling districts and polling places in its area by 31 December 2007, which accordingly was undertaken in Spelthorne in August 2007.

Subsequent reviews

Following the first review, the Council then had to complete a further review of polling districts and polling places before the end of the period of four years starting with the completion of the previous review. Spelthorne Borough Council completed further reviews of polling districts, polling places and polling station reviews in 2011 and 2014.

The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 introduced a change in timing of compulsory reviews. The next compulsory Polling District and Polling Places Review must now be started and completed between 1 October 2018 and 31 January 2020.

Spelthorne Borough Council will carry out a full review to comply with the compulsory review timetable which will take place from 11 October 2019 and conclude by 29 November 2019 with recommendations going to Council on 12 December 2019.

Definitions a) Parliamentary Constituency The area designated by the Boundary Commission having separate representation in the House of Commons. This cannot be changed by the review. The division of the constituency into polling districts and polling places is the subject of the review. b) Polling Districts The geographical area is a sub-division of a constituency, ward or division into smaller parts within which a polling place can be determined, which is within easy reach of all electors from across the polling district. c) Polling Places The building or area in which polling stations will be selected by the Returning Officer. d) Polling Station The actual room or area where voting takes place. This must be located within

2 the polling place and designated for that particular polling district. This function is the responsibility of the Returning Officer.

The Review Process

The Council is required to publish notice of the holding of a review.

A public notice posted has been posted at the Council Offices at Knowle Green, on noticeboards within Spelthorne and on the Council’s website.

Start the review by posting the review notice – 11 October 2019 Consultation period commences 11 October 2019 Publish the Acting Returning Officer’s Submission 29 November 2019 Consultation period concludes 12 December 2019 Council consider the recommendations 5 January 2020 Final recommendations published

Criteria for Polling Places and Polling Districts

There are a number of factors to take into account when considering polling districts and polling places. Guidance from the Electoral Commission lists the following key considerations:

With regard to polling district boundaries:

• Boundaries: Are these well defined? For example, do they follow the natural boundaries of an area? Is it clear which properties belong in the polling district?

• Location: Are there suitable transport links within the polling district, and how do they relate to the areas of the district that are most highly populated? Are there any obstacles to voters crossing the current polling district and reaching the polling place e.g., rivers, railway lines, impassable main roads?

With regard to polling places:

• Location: Is the polling place reasonably accessible within the polling district? Does it avoid barriers for the voter such as steep hills, major road, rivers etc.? Are there convenient transport links?

• Size: Can the polling place accommodate more than one polling station if required? If multiple polling stations are required, is the polling place enough to accommodate all voters going even where there is a high turnout?

• Suitability: Is the building readily available in the event of any unscheduled elections? Is there any possibility that the building may be demolished as part of a new development or withdrawn as a facility? Is the building accessible to all those entitled to attend the polling place?

3 The Electoral Commission advises that location, size and layout of any polling place / station must be a key consideration when deciding on the number of electors to be allocated to a polling station. In conducting a review, it is proposed that no more than 2,000 voters should be assigned to each polling station for elections and referenda, to ensure efficiency. In the event of a combined and/or Parliamentary Election, given more complex arrangements and higher voter turnout, it is proposed that these levels be reduced.

Consideration should also been given to the increased possibility of confusion and delays occurring where polling stations for more than one ward are allocated in the same building. It is therefore, suggested that, as far as is reasonably practical, polling stations for different wards should not be located in the same polling place. However, this is not always practical.

Inevitably there will be an element of compromise between the different factors involved in reviewing polling places and polling district boundaries, and indeed the Electoral Commission acknowledges this as follows: “In practice, however, the choice of polling places will often be a balance between the quality of a building (access, facilities etc.) and the proximity of the building to the electors. When making a decision, all factors will need to be considered and the authority will need to be able to demonstrate their reasoning behind their decision”.

Where, because of local circumstances, a polling place has been selected that is not fully accessible, reasonable adjustments must be undertaken to provide access for all electors.

The Electoral Commission provides a number of templates to assess the suitability of polling place and polling station facilities and these are attached.

Other Representations

In reviewing polling districts and polling places, the Council is required to actively seek representations from such persons as it thinks have particular expertise in relation to: access to premises, or facilities for persons who have different forms of disability.

Such persons must be given the opportunity to make representations and to comment on the representations made by the Acting Returning Officer.

A review of each polling station was carried out by the polling station inspectors at the Borough Elections and European Parliamentary Elections in 2019 and these comments will form part of the consultation process.

4 Summary of Consultees

Current Premises Other consultees Ashford Church of England School All Spelthorne’s Resident’s Ashford Congregational Church Hall Associations Beauclerc Infant School Buckland Primary School, Infant and RNIB Junior Charlton Village Hall Age UK Chennestone Primary School Echelford Primary School Health Action Fordway Centre Scope Village Hall The Leacroft Centre Runnymede & Spelthorne Citizens The Manning Room Advice Bureau Meadhurst School Resource Centre The booking staff for proposed Riverbridge Primary School premises The Salvation Army Hall Saxon Primary School Borough Councillors / County Village Hall Councillors St Matthew’s Church Hall St Michael’s RC School St Peter’s Church Hall St Saviour’s Church Staines Community Centre Congregational Church Hall Stanwell Fields School Village Hall Stanwell Village Hall Stanwell Youth Centre Sunbury Youth Centre The Well, St Martin’s Court Hall

The Council welcomes representations from any elector in the constituency on the designation of polling places/stations to the Council.

Completion of the review

On completion of a review, the Council will provide reasons for its decisions in respect of the designation of both polling districts and polling places.

In addition, the Council must publish:

• all correspondence received by the Returning Officer in connection with the review • all correspondence sent to any person the Council thinks has particular expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for persons who have different forms of disability • all representations made by any person in connection with the review

5 • the minutes of any meetings held by the council where details of the review have been considered • details of the actual designations of polling districts and polling places agreed as a result of the review; and details of where the results of the review have been published

Challenge of review

Although the Electoral Commission has no initial role in the review process itself, it does have an important role in respect of considering representations and observations made that a Council has not conducted a review so as to:

• meet the reasonable requirements of the electors in the constituency, or a body of them (i.e the reasonable requirements of a particular area of the authority have not been satisfactorily met); or • take sufficient account of the accessibility to disabled persons of polling stations within a designated polling place.

Who may make a representation to the Electoral Commission?

Section 18D (1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983, sets out who may make representations to the Electoral Commission namely;

• not less than thirty registered electors in the constituency • any person who made representations to the Council when the review was being undertaken (except the Returning Officer) • any person who is not an elector within the constituency who the Electoral Commission feels has sufficient interest in the accessibility of disabled persons • In England, any parish council which is wholly or partly situated within the constituency (or parish meeting where there is no council).

Also the Returning Officer may make observations on any representations made to the Commission.

Review by the Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission is required to consider any such representations and observations and may direct the relevant Council to make any alterations it sees necessary to the polling places designated by the review.

Should a Council fail to make the alterations within two months of the direction being given, the Commission may make the alterations itself.

Proposal

The publication of the consultation document contains details of current polling district and polling places for each of the 13 Wards within Spelthorne, along with the details of any proposed changes.

6 This document will be supplied to Members of the Borough Council and County Councillors, political parties and to persons who have particular expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for persons who have different forms of disability. This document can also be found on the website; www.spelthorne.gov.uk/pollingreview

Any persons wishing to make comments or representations regarding the proposals may do so.

Any representations you wish to make should be received by 5pm Friday 29 November 2019.

All representations should be sent via email to [email protected]. If you prefer you can send your representations to:

Electoral Services Spelthorne Borough Council Knowle Green Staines-upon-Thames TW18 1XB

All representations will be published on the Council’s website as soon as possible after receipt, even if you have already commented on the proposals; you may make further submissions in response to views and comments you see on the website.

The Council will make final decisions on 12 December 2019.

Any new polling districts, polling places and polling stations will become effective at all elections held after this date. Electors will be notified in writing if there have been any changes to their polling place.

7 ACTING RETURNING OFFICERS RECOMMENDATIONS

The recommendation is that the Polling Place for each polling district is coterminous with the proposed polling station.

Polling Current Polling Station Electorate Recommendations Districts (as at 3 May 2019)

AC1 Echelford Primary School, Park Road, Recommendation is to consider alternative site. Still looking. Ashford, TW15 1EX 1060 AC2 & Ashford C of E School, School Road, Ashford, Recommendation is to consider alternative site within school. 1868 & 1014 AC4 TW15 2BW Meeting being arranged. (2 stations in building) AC3 Meadhurst School, Feltham Hill Road, Ashford Recommendation is to consider alternative site. (Subject to Common, TW15 1LP 1061 & 1097 confirmation from the premises)

AE1 St Matthew’s Church Hall, Muncaster Close, Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (2 1458 Ashford, TW15 2EE stations in the building) & 1561 AE2 St Michael’s RC School, Feltham Hill Road, Recommendation is to consider alternative site. (Subject to Ashford, TW15 2DG 1329 & 1326 confirmation from the premises)

ANS1 Stanwell Congregational Church Hall, Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (2 Viscount Road, Stanwell, TW19 7RD 1763 & 1492 stations in the building)

ANS2 Fordway Centre, Stanwell Road, Ashford, Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (2 TW15 3DU 1705 & 1051 stations in the building)

AT1 The Salvation Army Hall, Woodthorpe Road, Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (2 Ashford, TW15 3JY 1268 & 1347 stations in the building)

AT2 Ashford Congregational Church Hall, Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (2 Clarendon Road, Ashford, TW15 2QA 1269 & 1317 stations in the building)

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HSW1 Halliford Community Centre. Recommendation is to use existing polling station Road, Shepperton, TW17 8SE 1410

HSW2 Springfield Primary School Recommendation is to consider alternative site, including 1078 & 1114 Sunbury Leisure Centre studio. (2 stations in building).

HSW3 St Mary’s Parish Hall, Green Street, Sunbury Recommendation is to use existing polling station on Thames, TW16 6RN 1224

LSG1 Laleham Village Hall, The Broadway, Recommendation is to use existing polling station Laleham, TW18 1RZ 675

LSG2 Saxon Primary School, Briar Road, Recommendation is to use St John Fisher Church Hall Shepperton, TW17 0JB 1659 & 1627 subject to confirmation (2 Polling Stations in building)

LSG3 & Charlton Village Hall, Hetherington Road, Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (2 LSG4 Charlton Village, Shepperton, TW17 0SN 1214 & 773 stations in the building)

RL1 St Peter’s Church Hall, Laleham Road, Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (2 Staines upon Thames, TW18 2DX 1278 & 1316 stations in the building)

RL2 Buckland Primary School (Infant), Berryscroft Recommendation is to use alternative premises. There are Road, Staines upon Thames, TW18 1NB 770 & 942 premises at the Methodist Hall in Edinburgh Drive which we will pursue. RL3 Buckland Primary School (Junior), Berryscroft Recommendation is to use alternative premises. There are Road, Staines upon Thames, TW18 1NB 833 premises at the Methodist Hall in Edinburgh Drive which we will pursue. S1, S1 & The Leacroft Centre, Raleigh Court, Leacroft, Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (3 1224, 1288 & S4 Staines upon Thames, TW18 4PB stations in the building) 584 S2 Staines Community Centre, Thames Street, Recommendation is to use existing polling station Staines upon Thames, TW18 4EA 966

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S3 Riverbridge Primary School, Park Avenue, Consider alternative premises, Thameside Youth Arts Staines upon Thames, TW18 2EF 1524 Centre, or Army Cadet Hall in Langley Road

SC St Saviour’s Church, Vicarage Road, Sunbury Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (2 on Thames, TW16 7TP 1647 & 1568 stations in the building)

SC Sunbury Youth Centre, Bryony Way, Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (2 Beechwood Avenue, Sunbury on Thames, 1265 & 1117 stations in the building) TW16 7RH SE1 The Manning Room, St Ignatius Roman Recommendation is to use existing polling station Catholic Church, Green Street, Sunbury on 1278 Thames, TW16 6QB SE2 Chennestone Primary School, Manor Lane, Consider alternative premises such as, Pomfrett Nursery Sunbury on Thames, TW16 5LE 1664 & 1384 Building, Sunbury Cricket Club, Sunbury Methodist Church, Sunbury Adult Learning Centre SE3 Beauclerc Infant School, 116 French Street, Consider alternative premises, Riverside Arts Centre Sunbury on Thames, TW16 5LE 1196

SN1 Stanwell Moor Village Hall, Horton Road, Recommendation is to use existing polling station Stanwell Moor, Staines upon Thames, TW19 960 6AE SN2 Stanwell Village Hall, High Street, Stanwell, Recommendation is to use existing polling station TW19 7JR 1452

SN3 Stanwell Youth Centre, Hadrian Way, Recommendation is to use existing polling station Stanwell, TW19 7HE 1624

SN4 Stanwell Fields School Consider alternative premises, St David’s RC Church Hall, 1318 Everest Road, or maybe a porta cabin as alternative premises are scarce in this area. SS1 The Well, St Martin’s Court Hall, Kingston Recommendation is to use existing polling station Crescent, Ashford, TW15 3ND 1450

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SS2 Resource Centre, Staines Park, Commercial Consider alternative premises, Scout Hut on Burges Way Road, Staines upon Thames, TW18 2QJ 1133 & 1134

SS3 Buckland Primary School (Junior), Berryscroft Recommendation is to use alternative premises. There are Road, Staines upon Thames, TW18 1NB 1460 premises at the Methodist Hall in Edinburgh Drive which we will pursue. ST Shepperton Village Hall, High Street, Recommendation is to use existing polling stations (4 1335. 1371, Shepperton, TW17 9BL stations in the building) 1327 & 1306

Informative:

The following Polling Stations will be in use when Parliament passes the relevant legislation and Spelthorne takes in an area from Runnymede Borough Council as part of the Spelthorne Constituency. These stations are not being reviewed as part of this review.

EH3 The Hythe Centre, Thorpe Road, Staines, Recommendation is to use existing polling station TW18 3HD 230

ET4 Egham Cricket Club Pavilion, Vicarage Road, Recommendation is to use existing polling place – at non- TW20 8NP 246 parliamentary elections ET5 would be combined with this station VW4 St. Ann`s Heath Junior School, Sandhills Recommendation is to combine with ET4 at Egham CC. Lane, GU25 4DS 61 Would be combined with VW2 at non- Parliamentary elections TH1 Thorpe Village Hall, Coldharbour Lane, Recommendation is to use existing polling place Thorpe, TW20 8TE 845

TH2 The Mobile Unit - Truss`s Island, Chertsey Recommendation is to use existing polling place Lane, Staines 1138

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TH3 The Mobile Unit - Ashleigh Avenue, (Off 1738 Recommendation is to relocate Mobile Unit to Junction of Warwick Avenue), Thorpe, TW20 8LB Wavendene Ave/Thorpe Lea Road

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