AGENDA ITEM NO. 18 SOUTH HOLLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL REPORT TO: Council 21/11/2007 BY: HEAD OF CUSTOMER, LEGAL & MEMBER SERVICES SUBJECT: Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2007 PURPOSE: To consider proposals following the recent review of polling districts and polling places 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places (Parliamentary Elections) Regulations 2006, require each local authority to carry out a review of polling districts and polling places on a regular 4 yearly cycle. The first review must be completed by 31 December 2007. However, it is essential that the review is completed before 1 December 2007 in order that changes are incorporated within the new register of electors which is published on this date. 1.2 In undertaking a review the local authority must: a) publish notice of the holding of a review; b) consult the Returning Officer for every parliamentary constituency which is wholly or partly in its area; c) enable any such Returning Officer to make representations to the authority and publish them in a prescribed manner; d) seek representations from such persons that it thinks has particular expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for persons who have different forms of disability; e) allow any elector in the authority’s area to make representations which could include proposals for alternative polling places. 1.3 On completion of the review the authority must give reasons for its decisions in the review and publish such other information as it prescribed in the Act and Regulations. 2.0 POLLING DISTRICT BOUNDARIES AND POLLING PLACES 2.1 Polling Districts are, in effect, sub divisions of Electoral Wards. Each parish or parish ward is automatically a polling district in its own right but then that area can be broken down into further polling districts dependent on the size of the parish and the number and location of the electors. 2.2 When designating polling districts the local authority must seek to ensure that all the electors in the area have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practical in the circumstances. Responsibility for determining polling district boundaries lies with the Council itself. 2.3 The Council must designate a polling place for every polling district. In determining where polling places should be located the Council must seek to ensure that all the electors have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practical in the circumstances and that, so far as C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\BCL Technologies\easyPDF 4\@BCL@240106BD\@[email protected]/13/2007 is reasonable and practical, polling places are accessible to all electors, including those who are disabled. 2.4 So far as Polling District boundaries are concerned these were last reviewed following the recent ward boundary changes and are kept under on-going review. 3.0 CONSULTATIONS UNDERTAKEN 3.1 Public notice of the start of the review was given on 3 August 2007 and the formal consultation period ran from 3 August to 12 October 2007. A public notice was placed in the Lincolnshire Free Press (7 August) giving notice of the review and full details of the review were placed on the Council’s website. In addition two specific periods of consultation were undertaken as follows: (i) The first consultation period ran from 17 August to 31 August 2007 and invited representations from the persons/organisations listed in paragraph 3.2 below on the existing polling districts and polling places; (ii) The second consultation period ran from 21 September to 12 October 2007 and invited representations from the persons/organisations listed in paragraph 3.2 below on the Returning Officer’s comments and proposals for any changes or no changes to the current arrangements. 3.2 Both consultations were sent to the following: a) Members of the Council b) Parish Councils c) County Councillors d) South Holland and the Deepings Conservative Association e) South Holland and the Deepings Liberal Democrat Party f) East Midlands Labour Party g) East Midlands British National Party h) John Hayes MP i) Lincolnshire Association for People with Disabilities (Spalding) j) Spalding and District Access Group 3.3 In addition, the presiding officers employed at the local elections held in May were consulted on the venues used as polling stations and any comments received have been considered as part of the review. 4.0 ISSUES RAISED DURING THE CONSULTATION PROCESS 4.1 Various responses were received and these are summarised in the schedule set out at Appendix 1. The schedule provides for each ward details of the polling district, the roads contained within the polling district, the polling place, number of electors, any accessibility issues, the Returning Officer’s proposals and details of any representations received. 4.2 As members can see from Appendix 1 there were a relatively limited number of responses to the consultation. In the main responses were received from Councillors and Parish Councils. No views were received from any of the political parties or the two organisations involved with people with disabilities. 4.3 The following issues have been raised as part of the consultation process: a) Crowland and Deeping St Nicholas Ward – Deeping St Nicholas Parish C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\BCL Technologies\easyPDF 4\@BCL@240106BD\@[email protected]/13/2007 (i) Deeping St Nicholas Parish Council have requested that consideration be given to two separate polling station venues being used at each end of the village to replace the current polling station at the Deeping St Nicholas School. The venues suggested by the Parish Council are the Church (for polling district AF1) and the Chapel (for polling district AF2). However on investigation of this suggestion it was found that the Church currently does not have any toilet facilities but will shortly be undergoing improvements. It is therefore proposed that the polling station for both these polling districts remain at the Deeping St Nicholas School for the time being and further investigation of the Parish Council’s suggestion be carried out early in 2008 when improvements at the Church have been completed. Officers will make visits to both the Church and Chapel to check suitability in relation to facilities, disabled access and car parking facilities. (iii) Deeping St Nicholas Parish Council feel that the current venue for the Tongue End polling district AF3 of Bank House Farm is not convenient for residents as it is situated on the edge of the polling district and not close to the majority of voters. In addition this polling station offers very poor disabled access. No alternative venues have been identified within this polling district. Ward members may recall that several years ago a portacabin was hired and used as a polling station for this polling district and sited on the garage site close to the Counter Drain council houses. This option has been considered again however it is felt not to be a viable option for the following reasons: (i) the garage site has a very deep gravel surface which would cause difficulties to disabled voters (ii) the cost of hiring a portacabin and portaloo for polling day would be in excess of £3200.00. It is therefore proposed that Bank House Farm remain the designated polling station for this polling district at the present time. b) Spalding St John’s Ward Councillor G Dark requested that consideration be given to the voters in the Magellan Way estate, which has road access from St Thomas’s Road, voting at the St Norbert’s Hall in St Thomas’s Road instead of the current venue St Johns Church Lounge when the estate nears completion. A footpath is available from the Magellan Way estate through Belvedere Close to Hawthorn Bank. It is therefore considered that the St John’s Church Lounge is nearer for voters traveling on foot and it is proposed that no change to be made to the polling station venues at the present time. However consideration will be given to the reallocation of the polling stations for the Magellan Way estate when the estate nears completion. 5.0 OTHER PREMISES RELATED ISSUES 5.1 a) Moulton, Weston and Cowbit Ward – Moulton Chapel Youth Club Although not formally raised during the consultation process it has been noted that there is a small step at the entrance door to the Moulton Chapel Youth Club which is used as the polling station. It is proposed that a temporary ramp be provided for this building prior to the next elections. C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\BCL Technologies\easyPDF 4\@BCL@240106BD\@[email protected]/13/2007 b) Spalding St Paul’s and Spalding St Mary’s Wards – The Maples Room, St Nicolas Hall, The Vista Although not formally raised during the consultation process it is well established that two wards utilise this one polling station. It is not ideal for a polling station to be used for two wards but no alternative venues have been identified. The Maples Room is not large enough to be split and used as two polling stations and the main hall at this venue is not available in early May when the majority of elections are held. It is proposed that no change be made at the present time and further consideration be given to finding an alternative venue. c) Spalding St Paul’s Ward – St Paul’s CP School Again not formally raised during the consultation process the polling arrangements at the St Paul’s School at the elections in May were problematic. One of the issues was due to the polling station being accessed via the nursery entrance which has a step.