Agenda item

Polling District and Polling Place Review

To consider the report of the (Acting) Returning Officer.

 

Minutes:

The Council considered a report on a recent Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places which had been undertaken in accordance with statutory requirements. It was noted that a review had taken place in 2018 to reflect changes to ward boundaries made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

 

Members were informed that it was proposed to change the polling place for the Watchetts (West) polling district from The Orchard Campus, South Camberley Primary School, to Camberley Guide Headquarters, Crabtree Road.  It was advised that the Guide Headquarters had been successfully used for the European Parliamentary Elections on 23 May 2019.

 

It was also proposed that the polling place for Windlesham (North) polling district be moved from Windlesham Village Infant School to Windlesham Club and Theatre, Kennell Lane. Members were advised that, although the Club & Theatre was located outside the polling district, it was within the acknowledged settlement area and its use would prevent any disruption to the School and its pupils’ education on polling day.

 

The Council was informed that representations had been received concerning the use of Lakeside School, Alphington Avenue, as the polling place for Frimley (East) polling district; this followed concerns raised by the School at the May 2019 elections. The concerns related to the need to close the School on polling day and the consequential disruption to the pupils’ education. Options for using alternative sites within the School, which would enable it to remain open on polling day, had been reviewed but had not been considered to be suitable.  Local ward members had expressed a preference for the School to continue to be used, rather than for St Peter’s Church Hall in Parsonage Way to be designated as the polling place for the entire ward.

 

During the 2018 review the Baptist Church in Balmoral Drive, Frimley had been proposed as a polling place from Frimley (East); at this time this option had not been pursued as the Church was just outside the polling district boundaries and its use could have caused confusion for electors within Frimley Green ward who would pass it to attend their allocated station. However, taking into account the representations received concerning the use of Lakeside School, it was suggested that this option was further reviewed.

 

As a result, it was suggested that the decision on polling district boundaries and the allocation of polling places for Frimley ward be deferred for further review.

 

The Council was informed that Chertsey Road Hall, the polling place for the Windlesham (South) polling district, was likely to close at the end of 2019. At that stage it was not known whether the new Windlesham Field of Remembrance Pavilion, which was due to open in late 2019, would be available for use as a polling place.

 

The Pavilion was the preferred option to replace Chertsey Road Hall as polling place for this polling district. If it was not available, alternatives including sub-dividing the polling district would be further considered. It was therefore proposed to defer this decision until the position on using the Pavilion was known. 

 

It was moved by Councillor Richard Brooks, seconded by Councillor Charlotte Morley, and

 

RESOLVED that

 

(i)        the revised schedule of polling districts and polling places, as set out at Annex A to the agenda report, be agreed;

 

(ii)      the decision on polling district boundaries and the allocation of polling places for Frimley ward be deferred for further review; and

 

(iii)     the decision on the designation of a polling place for NA- Windlesham (South) polling district be deferred to the next meeting.

 

Supporting documents: