Agenda item

Members considered a report which set out details of the statutory requirement to review Polling Stations, Places, and Districts.  Members noted that compulsory reviews must be held once every five years with the last statutory review having been reported to Council in November 2019.

The process undertaken was set out in Section 3 of the report and a summary of the responses received was set out in Section 4 and Appendix 1.

Arising recommendations for each polling place were contained in Appendix 2. With the vast majority remaining unchanged, where a change was proposed these were summarised at Section 5.4 of the report. 

Finally, Members were advised that proposed changes would become effective for the next scheduled polls in May 2025.

Debate ensued and local Ward Member for Scampton welcomed the move back to the Community Centre, agreeing that schools were not the best place for polling stations, moving the paper.

Local Ward Member for Saxilby expressed concerns at the proposal to move the Polling Station for residents of North and South Carlton, suggesting the alternative would pose difficulties and inconvenience for residents and that the Parish Chairman had been unaware.  

Officers acknowledged that the comments, a full equality impact assessment had been undertaken, the facilities were below standard, and the Council had a duty to its staff too.  All key holders and venues had been contacted as part of the review.  The polling station remained within the accepted distance of travel and residents could chose to move to an alternative voting method.  Accepting it could be viewed as not ideal, with no other facilities in the village residents already needed to travel for basic services, it really was a difficult balancing act and residents could raise their concerns post the decision.

Concern was expressed regarding the use of Gladstone House, with some Members feeling, given a Member of Council’s association with the establishment there was potential for undue influence.   Another venue in the area had not been used historically for that reason.  Concerns were also expressed that venue had a liquor licence that ran over polling hours.   For these reasons it was requested that the word permanent be removed from the report and an alternative found, one suggestion being the Hastings Centre on North Warren Road.

Officers responded, giving assurance that the polling station had worked well, there had been no complaints regarding its use or petitions and its was the duty of staff to ensure it was free from influence on the day.

The Leader of Council voiced his objection, advising he had complained previously but no amendments had been made and he was of the view it was the only licensed polling station.

In response Officers acknowledged there had been a previous complaint from elected Members, the earlier reference meaning public complaints. A number of licensed premises were used for polling stations; however, none were permitted to serve alcohol on the day of polling unless there was a totally separate room away from the polling station.

In response to comments across the Chamber, Officers outlined the various venues which had been approached in the Ward and of the constraints but indicated they were happy to remove the word permanent as requested by Members and investigate further alternatives, if that was the Chamber’s wish.

A previous suggestion of deferring the paper was withdrawn.  The report, as amended was duly seconded and on that basis it was: -

RESOLVED that:

(a)       the process undertaken, and responses received, summarised in Appendix 1 be noted;

(b)       the proposals for the polling districts, polling places and polling stations in the District, as set out in the analysis of polling stations document attached at Appendix 2 of the report be approved, subject to the word permanent being removed in reference to the polling station at Gladstone House with an alternative to be sourced where feasible; and

(c)        the outcome and recommendations arising from the next statutory review be received by Council not later than November 2029.

Note Councillor Dobbie declared a personal interest in the above item as a Member of Gladstone House Social Club.