Agenda item

Report of the Electoral Registration Officer

The Chief Executive, Andrew North, introduced the report and advised Members that every five years the council has to undertake a review of its polling places and polling stations and that this would be undertaken next year.  Such a review needs to consider how easy it is for voters to reach a polling station; that the station is located in the polling district it serves if at all possible; and that there is disabled access to the premises.  However, the council can consider interim reviews if it is felt that there is an issue with a specific polling station. 

Councillor Sudbury had advised him that the voters of EA polling district had felt that the proximity of the polling station needed to improve, and that she had come up with the proposal to use the Church of the Latter Day Saints.  Currently those in EA polling district vote at Sacred Hearts Church.  He advised Members that he had placed a copy of the locations on the map on the display board in the chamber and Members may wish to look at the map prior to making a decision.  Although neither he nor his team had received complaints about the use of the current location, and the ward was one with a higher turnout in elections than other wards, he was happy that the proposal would be a suitable location and therefore had undertaken an interim review.

He advised Members that there had been only two responses, although as Councillor Hall had previously indicated in her question during Member question time, there had been some issues with the information on the website.  One elector was very opposed to the suggested change of location, and the other, although happy for the station to move, had suggested the alternative location of the Lido.  The report sets out the implications of this alternative suggestion.

Given the low response rate and that there was no support for the proposal, he was recommending that the polling station should not change for voters in EA polling district but that it would be reviewed next year as part of the borough wide review.

As there were no questions the Mayor moved to the substantive debate.

Councillor Hall, as the ward councillor for the area, advised that she canvasses the area on a regular basis and listens to the issues of the electors.  Apart from one elector, the location of the polling station had not been raised as an issue.  She felt that the location of a second porta-cabin at the Lido was not an option as the car park was already congested on the day of an election.  She was pleased that no changes had been made to the polling station location and that it would form part of the borough wide review.

Councillor Sudbury explained why she had asked for the review to be undertaken.  She had been contacted by several electors, and reminded Members that the polling district goes down to College Road/Hewlett Road so it is a long distance to the polling station.  She explained that there are residents in Keynsham Road who live over the road to the polling station at the Lido and cannot understand why they cannot vote at this location.  She was pleased that the review had been undertaken, and had originally wanted the Lido as a suggested location until she realised the costs.  This was why she had then suggested the Church of the Latter Day Saints as it was a suitable location and very pleasant venue.  She advised Members that her colleague Paul Baker had put out a newsletter making reference to the review, but she was not surprised that there had been a poor response to the consultation as it was hard to find the information on the website.  She believed that it was a matter of fairness that people had access to a suitably located polling station and although acknowledging that voters could have a postal vote, they should not be denied the opportunity to vote locally.

A Member questioned why the review had taken place given that there had not been any complaints to the council, and that the review was a waste of time and money when there were other priorities. 

There was a suggestion that the new Fire and Rescue building was cosidered when the review is undertaken next time, as the building was designed to be used as a community resource.

In summing up the Chief Executive said that it was part of his responsibilities to undertake interim reviews of polling stations and polling places and he took the decision to review as there was a justifiable case with regards to location.  In terms of costs, these had been minimal and were mainly officer time.  In conducting the full review next year, he would ensure that the fire station was looked at as a potential venue.

Upon a vote it was

RESOLVED THAT

1. All electors in the current polling district EA continue to vote at Sacred Hearts Parish Hall, Moorend Road. 
2. These arrangements will be considered further as part of the full review of polling districts, polling places and polling stations to be carried out during summer 2014 and any changes that are agreed will be implemented before the Parliamentary election in May 2015.

Voting : Carried with 2 abstentions