Derbyshire County Council Elections 6 MAY 2021 INFORMATION PACK
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Derbyshire County Council Elections 6 MAY 2021 INFORMATION PACK (Amber Valley) Published and Printed by the Returning Officer, Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3BT Election Contact Details By Telephone: Election Office & General Enquiries 01773 841458/841632 Registration 01773 841458/841632 Postal/Proxy Voting Enquiries 01773 841633 (Donna Rollinson) Press and media enquiries 01773 841634 (Jill Harris) Nomination of Candidates 01773 841634 (Jill Harris) Security 01773 841634 The Verification & Count 01773 841634 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.ambervalley.gov.uk Town Hall opening times: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9am to 4.30pm Wednesday 10am to 4.30pm (PLEASE NOTE, DUE TO COVID-19, THE TOWN HALL IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE) Sylvia Delahay Deputy Returning Officer Town Hall Ripley Derbyshire DE5 3BT (Not to be published or reproduced without the Deputy Returning Officer’s prior written consent) 1 Published and Printed by the Returning Officer, Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3BT DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS – 6 MAY 2021 AMBER VALLEY INFORMATION General The electorate for the Amber Valley part of the County of Derbyshire is 100,895 (as at 1 March 2021). Details of the electorate for each of the Electoral Divisions in Amber Valley are set out on page 5 of this booklet. The hours of poll are 7am to 10pm. County Council Elections The County Council Elections are held every 4 years. There are nine Electoral Divisions within the Amber valley area and details are shown on the plan on page 6 of this booklet. With the exception of the Alfreton & Somercotes Electoral Division where there are 2 seats, all Electoral Divisions have 1 seat up for election. On the same day, throughout the borough, we also have Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (postponed from 2020), Borough Elections in fifteen wards (also postponed from 2020), five Parish By-Elections (if contested) four wards in Ripley and one in Belper South), and three Neighbourhood Plan Referendums, Dethick Lea & Holloway, Kirk Langley and Belper. The existing political composition of the County Council for the Amber Valley area is: Labour 2 Conservative 8 Nominations Nomination papers are available from the Election Office at the Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3BT. As we are dealing with a Covid-19 Pandemic, you can ring the number given at the front of this booklet and a set of nomination papers will be sent out to you. Nomination papers are also available on line and can be obtained via the Electoral Commission Website: www.electoralcommission.org.uk Because of Covid-19, Nomination Papers will only require a proposer, and seconder for these elections being held on 6 May 2021. Completed nomination papers must be delivered in person to the Returning Officer, Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley by ringing Jill Harris on 01773 841634. Jill will make arrangements for you to deliver your completed nomination papers. Completed nominations will be accepted between Monday 29 March 2021 and before 4pm on Thursday 8 April 2021 ONCE AN APPOINTMENT HAS BEEN MADE. Main Reception at the Town Hall is normally open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 9am and 4.30pm and from 10am – 4.30pm on Wednesdays. (PLEASE NOTE, DUE TO COVID-19, THE TOWN HALL IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE) 2 Published and Printed by the Returning Officer, Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3BT Best Practice: Candidates are recommended to book an appointment for an informal check of their nomination paper before it is formally submitted. For an appointment, please contact Jill Harris in the Election Office on 01773 841634. It should be noted that the Deputy Returning Officer and her staff cannot be held responsible if they fail to identify an error or omission during the informal check – the correct completion of the nomination paper remains the responsibility of the Candidates and their Agents. Candidate and Agent Briefings A Briefing for potential Candidates and Agents will be held via the Microsoft Teams App. on Thursday 18 March 2021 commencing at 6.30pm. This meeting will be a virtual meeting. If you wish to attend, please call 01773 841634 to reserve a place. We will need an email address from you at the time of booking your place, so a link to the meeting and any information you require can be sent prior to the meeting. A further Briefing for Nominated Candidates and their Agents will be held as above on Thursday 15 April 2021 commencing at 6.30pm. Again, if you wish to attend, please call 01773 841634 to reserve a place. At this Briefing, details of arrangements put in place for these elections and the counting of votes will be confirmed. It is unsure at the moment whether a police presence will be available. Please note, if you do not have access to the internet or do not have an email address any information supplied at these briefings can be sent to you by post. Please let me know if this is your preference. Poll Cards Poll cards will be delivered by hand on or around Friday 26 March 2021. This will allow voters the opportunity to apply for a postal vote if they wish by the deadline of 5pm on Tuesday 20 April 2021. Polling Stations During 2018/19, the Borough Council carried out a review of all polling stations to ensure that they are accessible and offer appropriate facilities for voters. Further reviews are carried out on a continuous basis. For these Elections there are four new polling stations. (a) In the Langley Mill & Aldercar Ward we are unable to use Asda Supermarket. Due to their Covid-19 guidance, the Manager could not commit to a date in May 2021. We will be using St. Andrews Church Hall, Station Road for these elections. This Church Hall is already used as a polling station but is big enough to accommodate a second polling station. (b) In the Heanor East Ward we are unable to use Langley Community Church Hall, Breach Road as the hall has closed and is up for sale. We will be using Marlpool Junior School, Claramount Road for these elections. The School has been inspected and has been found suitable to be used as a polling station. 3 Published and Printed by the Returning Officer, Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3BT (c) In the Shipley Park, Horsley & Horsley Woodhouse Ward we are unable to use Horsley Woodhouse Church Hall, as it is being used as a Vaccine Centre. We will be using Studio 7 Dance and Performing Arts School for these elections only. We will move back to the Church Hall for future elections. (d) In the Belper South Ward we are unable to use Milford Primary School due to Covid-19 restrictions. We will be using Soi Kitchens for these elections. The restaurant has been inspected and has been found suitable to be used as a polling station. If there are contested elections in all 9 Electoral Divisions, 99 polling stations will be used. Verification and Count The Verification will be a combined one with the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections, the Derbyshire County Council Elections, 5 Parish By-Elections (if contested) and 3 Neighbourhood Plan Referendums which will take place immediately following the close of poll at 10pm on Thursday 6 May 2021. The various Counts will take place as follows: Derbyshire County Council Elections: Friday Morning 7 May starting at 10am Police & Crime Commissioners Elections: Friday Afternoon 7 May starting at 4pm Borough Council Elections: Sunday Morning 9 May starting at 9am Parish Council By-Elections & Neighbourhood Plan Referendums: Sunday Afternoon starting once the Borough Elections count has concluded. Both the Verifications and Counts will take place in the Bowls Hall at Alfreton Leisure Centre, Church Street, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 7BD. Election Turnout At the last County Council Elections which were held on 4 May 2017 the average turnout at this election was 39%. 4 Published and Printed by the Returning Officer, Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3BT County Council Divisions in Amber Valley Electoral Division Electorate (at 1.3.2021) Alfreton & Somercotes 20,449 Alport & Derwent 10,717 Belper 9,222 Duffield & Belper South 9,336 Greater Heanor 9,784 Heanor Central 9,756 Horsley 10,635 Ripley East & Codnor 10,583 Ripley West & Heage 10,413 Total 100,895 Please note that these electorate figure (as at 1 March 2021) are to be used in relation to the calculation of election expenses. 5 Published and Printed by the Returning Officer, Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3BT County Divisions in Amber Valley 9 = Ripley West and Heage 6 Published and Printed by the Returning Officer, Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3BT ELECTION TIMETABLE 6 May 2021 Event Date and Time Publish Notice of election 4pm 26th March 2021 Last Day for the receipt of Nominations and Consents to 4pm 8th April 2021 Nomination Last time for delivery of Notices of Withdrawal of 4pm 8th April 2021 Candidature Last day for the receipt of Notice Appointing Election 4pm 8th April 2021 Agents Publication of Statement of Persons Nominated 4pm 9th April 2021 Last day for receiving applications for Registrations 19th April 2021 First issue of Postal Votes 20th April 2021 Last day for receipt of new or to change details of existing 5pm 20th April 2021 Postal Applications Second issue of Postal Votes 26th April 2021 Last day for receipt of New applications to Vote by Proxy 5pm 27th April 2021 Publication of Notice of Poll and Notice of Polling Stations 27th April 2021 Last time for receipt of Notice