Polling Place Review 2019 Introduction We are carrying out a review of our polling districts, polling places, and polling stations. This is something we are legally required to do every five years, to make sure that all electors have reasonable facilities to vote as far as are practicable in the circumstances. A polling district is a geographical area within a parliamentary constituency, within which a polling place can be determined that is most suitable for electors. A polling place is the building or area where you can find the polling station, such as Woodgreen Leisure Centre or Morrisons Car Park. A polling station is the actual room where you vote, where the polling station staff sit with the paperwork and the ballot box. This must be located within the polling place that has been designated for the polling district. In some cases, there is more than one polling station within a polling place, depending on the number of people who vote there. The Council has to make sure that each polling district has somewhere that electors can go and vote. If there isn’t a suitable building to use as a polling station, or an area to put a temporary building for electors to vote in, then we can send electors to a polling station in the neighbouring polling district. This report breaks down the (Acting) Returning Officer’s ((A)RO) recommendations to District ward level and gives details of any proposed changes. The (Acting) Returning Officer has, where applicable, considered known issues during the preparation of this document. All of the polling stations currently used were visited during the May election and these comments have also been taken into consideration. The (A)RO has also considered the accessibility levels of current polling stations, new and proposed developments and any comments received from individuals and groups as part of the recent first initial consultation process. Every submission received has been carefully considered, however, in some cases it has not been possible to meet every suggestion made. The (Acting) Returning Officer is proposing to keep the existing polling arrangements where they remain adequate and to make changes only where circumstances require. The intention is not to make changes unless they are needed and justified. Guidelines The following considerations have been taken into account when drawing up these proposals. The first two guidelines are required by electoral law whilst the others are guidelines, not strict rules. 1. The Council must seek to ensure that all electors have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances. 2. The Council must seek to ensure that so far as is reasonable and practicable every polling place is accessible to electors who are disabled. 3. Ideally, the polling place should be in its own polling district. 4. Ideally, there should be no more than 2500 electors (excluding absent voters) per polling station. It should be noted that although the guidelines suggest an ideal number of electors per polling district there are several polling districts in the BCP Council area that have over 2500 electors. In these cases, the issue of large elector numbers at the polling station will be dealt with either by the provision of additional polling station staff and equipment, or by arranging for there to be 2 polling stations within one polling place (otherwise known as a ‘split’ or ‘double’ station). 5. Preferably, no polling place should be shared by two wards. 6. Schools should only be used where there is no other suitable permanent building available. 7. Portacabins (mobile stations) should only be used where there is no other reasonable option, as these are costly to operate. Tables Each district ward is dealt with separately. For existing polling arrangements, the tables show: The polling district; The current polling station; The Constituency area; The Parish area (if applicable); The number of electors as at 1 September 2019 (as at commencement of the Review); (Acting) Returning Officer’s comments; and (Acting) Returning Officer’s proposals. It should be noted that where the current polling station arrangements show a comment of “adequate” or “satisfactory”, this does not necessarily mean that the polling station is ideal, but that any shortcomings can be dealt with by the provision of equipment such as ramps and by the polling station staff at the time of an election. Comments on the (Acting) Returning Officer’s Proposals If you would like to comment on the Polling Station recommendations, you can do so via a short questionnaire, the link for which is on the website at: Polling Place Review . Alternatively, comments can be emailed to [email protected] or posted to Polling Place Review, Democratic & Elections Team, Cherwell District Council, Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury, Oxon, OX15 4AA. The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Monday 1 November 2019. Once the second consultation has closed, we will consider the feedback, and final recommendations with be submitted to Full Council for consideration and approval on 16 December 2019. The Council has to publish all comments received in connection with a polling place review. If we receive a comment on behalf of a group, such as a parish council, political party or disability access group, we will name the group, but we will not publish the names of individuals who have commented. District Ward: Adderbury, Bloxham and Bodicote Polling Polling station Constituency Parish Electorate (Acting) Returning Officer Comments (Acting) Returning Officer Proposal District (at 1 ID September 2019) CAA1 The Institute, Banbury Adderbury 2385 Due to the electorate being over 2500, this is a double No change proposed – continue to use The Institute as the polling The Green, station. The current polling station arrangements are station, as a double station. Adderbury adequate and satisfactory. Whilst The Institute remains the recommended polling Station, the (Acting) Returning Officer acknowledges that it has been unavailable for unscheduled elections and the Methodist Church is a suitable alternative building in the village. CCK1 The Bloxham Banbury Bloxham 2743 Due to the electorate being over 2500, this is a double No change proposed – continue to use The Bloxham Ex- Ex- station. The current polling station arrangements are servicemen’s Village Hall as the polling station, as a double station. Servicemen’s adequate and satisfactory. Village Hall, High Street, Bloxham CCL1, Church House, Banbury Bodicote 1777 The current polling station arrangements are adequate and No change proposed – continue to use the Church House as the CCL2 Church Street, satisfactory. polling station. Bodicote CDP1 The Meeting Banbury Milton 146 The current polling station arrangements are adequate and No change proposed – continue to use The Meeting Room as the Room, Manor satisfactory. polling station. Farm, Milton District Ward: Banbury Calthorpe and Easington Polling Polling station Constituency Parish Electorate (Acting) Returning Officer Comments (Acting) Returning Officer Proposal District (at 1 ID September 2019) CAE1 Chasewell Banbury Banbury 3156 Due to the electorate being over 2500, this is a double It is proposed that electors in polling district CAE1 continue to use CAF1 Community (Calthorpe South station. Chasewell Community Centre CAF2 Centre, Avocet Ward) As part of the first consultation comments were received from Way, Banbury the Headteacher and a School Governor at The Grange It is proposed that electors in polling districts CAF1 and CAF2 be School, which shares the site of Chasewell Community allocated to Longford Park Community Centre, Hobby Road, Centre raising safeguarding concerns. Banbury as their polling station. Acknowledging the concerns of the school but noting that it is not the school but the Community Centre that is used as a polling station, the (Acting) Returning Officer’s staff have been exploring alternatives to Chasewell Community Centre, however no suitable locations have been suggested or identified. It is important to note that the Community Centre management are happy for the Centre to continue to be used as a polling station and the station is satisfactory and adequate. The (Acting) Returning Officer’s staff will liaise with staff at Chasewell Community Centre and The Grange School to minimise the impact on the school and encourages the school to consider scheduling an inset day for the first Thursday of May each year as elections are held each year in Cherwell due to district elections by thirds and county elections in the fourth year. The extensive development at Longford Park includes a Community Centre and it is recommended that electors within polling districts CAF1 and CAF2 be allocated to attend the Longford Park Community Centre as their polling station. The current electorate is around 500 but it is anticipated this will increase as the development continues. It is acknowledged that CAF1 falls within the Deddington county division, whilst CAF2 is within the Banbury Calthorpe & Easington Division. Staff working at the station would be briefed accordingly. CAG1 Easington Banbury Banbury 2353 Due to the electorate being over 2500, this is a double No change proposed – continue to use The Bloxham Ex- Methodist (Easington South station. The current polling station arrangements are servicemen’s Village Hall as the polling station, as a double station. Church Hall, Ward) adequate and satisfactory. Grange Road, Banbury CAI1 Harriers Banbury Banbury 331 The current polling station arrangements are adequate and No change proposed – continue to use the Harriers Banbury Banbury (Easington North satisfactory. Academy as the polling station. Academy, Ward) Bloxham Road, Banbury CAK1 Queensway Banbury Banbury 1695 This has been a double station however as the electorate is No change proposed – continue to use Queensway School as the Primary School, (Easington South well below 2500, it is proposed that this should revert to being polling station, however as a single station Banbury Ward) a single station.