Agenda item

Contact Officer: Nick Graham/Mat Bloxham

The Council was required periodically by the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 to undertake a compulsory review of the polling districts, polling places and polling stations within Buckinghamshire. The next review had to commence between October 2023 and January 2025 and would enable necessary changes to be made to polling districts arising from the electoral review of Buckinghamshire Council’s wards for May 2025 and the review of Parliamentary constituencies. The review would also identify changes to some polling places due to changes to the availability of premises.

Members were informed that a power to designate temporary polling places was required because sometimes when a poll was called designated polling places were not always available and an alternative polling place must be found, often at short notice, to avoid delays to the printing and despatch of poll cards. For example, a UK Parliamentary election could be called with 25 days’ notice which would leave only a couple of days to book 366 polling stations, identify and visit suitable alternative venues, and send poll card data to be printed for 421,000 electors. Similar situations occurred for unscheduled polls, such as by-elections or neighbourhood planning referendums, which continued to be held regularly within Buckinghamshire.

As previously agreed by the Committee, the review in Buckinghamshire had commenced on 2 October 2023 and the public consultation had closed on 4 December 2023. Stakeholders, including the public, Councillors, Parish Councils, election agents and local groups with particular expertise in accessibility, were contacted and invited to comment on the proposed polling districts and polling places. The full consultation responses were attached in Appendix 2 which included the comments of the Acting Return Officers.

The timetable for the review was attached as Appendix 1 and enabled the aforementioned consequential changes to polling districts, polling places and polling stations arising from the parliamentary and local government boundary reviews to be ready in time from when new boundaries took effect.

The Committee was informed that the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) had undertaken a review of unitary wards within Buckinghamshire Council and their final report had been published on 30 May 2023. The polling district review provided an opportunity to identify consequential changes to polling districts, polling places or polling stations arising from the final report’s recommendations. The Council’s new wards would take effect from May 2025 when the next scheduled local elections would take held. Any by-elections held between now and May 2025 would use the current wards. All proposed changes to polling districts arising from the polling district review were compatible with both the current and new unitary wards.

A Parliamentary Boundary Review had been undertaken by the Boundary Commission for England which meant that the next UK Parliamentary election would use the new constituencies. Buckinghamshire Council would administer the Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Chesham and Amersham, Mid Buckinghamshire and Wycombe Parliamentary Constituencies. The Council would also support Milton Keynes City Council in administering the cross-border constituency of Buckingham and Bletchley for which Milton Keynes City Council had overall responsibility. Both Councils would work closely with one another to administer this cross-border constituency.

The report included information explaining about polling districts and polling places.  For consistency the same polling districts were used for both local government and national elections. These were determined by the Council during a polling district review.  A polling place was the building or area in which a poll took place and would be selected by the Returning Officer. The polling station was the actual room or building where the poll takes place.  The polling district review would not change the boundaries of unitary wards, parishes or parliamentary constituencies that were dealt with through separate processes.

The Council currently had 366 polling stations and 309 polling districts. Most polling districts, polling places and polling stations were recommended to remain as they are now. Changes to polling districts boundaries were proposed where they would no longer match the new unitary ward or parish ward (where amended) and parliamentary constituency boundaries. There were proposed changes to some polling places arising from changes to venue availability.  The full responses received during the consultation were in Appendix 2 to the Committee report.

Some of the proposals had received only positive consultation feedback or no feedback. These were in Appendix 3.  Other proposals received feedback identifying alternative options. These were detailed in Appendix 4 which set out where further changes to some of the proposed polling districts and polling places were recommended, having regard to the consultation responses received and circumstances in each location.

Following the Committee’s decision on future polling districts and polling places, the documents at Section 3.1 of the report would be published, and the revised register would be published on 1 February 2024. The new unitary wards, and consequential changes to parishes, would take effect at the next scheduled local elections on 1 May 2025.

A Member commented on the comments made by Councillor Wassell, set out in Appendix 2, on the consultation in relation to Totteridge Community Centre and Hannah Ball School. The Committee Member also commented that Hannah Ball School would be a better option than the Hive, which was being recommended, since the School was better positioned in the community. Schools also had a legal duty to be used as a polling place, if requested. The Electoral Services Manager reported that Hannah Ball School had requested that they no longer be used as a polling station which was why the Hive had been suggested as an alternative polling place in the review. If the Committee agreed for Hannah Ball School to remain the designated polling place the school would be informed accordingly. On a vote being taken (proposed by Cllr Green and seconded by Cllr Gomm) Members supported the proposal that Hannah Ball School continue to be designated as a polling place.

Following a request for clarification it was noted that Roman Park Hall was being proposed as replacement polling place to Berryfields Family Centre since that was now too small for the population which had increased.

RESOLVED –

(1)               That the Electoral Registration Officer be authorised to take the necessary measures to give effect to any new or amended polling districts and polling places (Appendix 5), and as amended above, ensuring that the register reflects existing and new boundaries, until the boundaries are fully in force.

(2)               That power to designate temporary polling places in accordance with section 18 and 18B of the Representation of the People Act 1983 be delegated to the Electoral Registration Officer/Returning Officer subject to the Chairman of the Standards and General Purposes Committee and relevant ward Members being informed.