Decision details

Polling Districts and Polling Places Review

Decision Maker: Executive

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

To carry out a review of polling districts and polling places in the borough as required by Section 18 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and Section 17 of the Electoral Administration Act 2013.

Decision:

RECOMMENDED  that:

 

Ward

Polling Districts

Ascot

WX; WY

Central Sandhurst

SP

Crown Wood

BF; WW

Crowthorne

CN

Great Hollands North

BH; BQ

Great Hollands South

BJ

Hanworth

BD; BK

Harmans Water

BL; BLP; WV

Little Sandhurst and Wellington

CS; SQ

Old Bracknell

BM; BN

Owlsmoor

SJ

Priestwood and Garth

BG; BP

Winkfield and Cranbourne

WN; WP; WS; WZ

      i)        no changes are made to the existing polling arrangements for the

following wards:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     ii)        the following changes are made to the Binfield with Warfield Ward:

 

a)    separate the southern area of the existing ‘BA’ polling district into a new polling district to be called ‘BI’. Shown in Annexe A  – Fig 1 of the Director of Resources report.

 

b)    separate the Amen Corner development from the ‘BA’ polling district and creating a new polling district to be called ‘BAC’. Shown in Annexe A – Fig 1 of the Director of Resources report.

 

c)    designate Newbold College as the polling station for the ‘BI’ new polling district.

 

d)    designate Farley Wood Community Centre is designated as the polling station for polling district ‘BAC’ with the electors for that polling district using the main hall at the Community Centre.

 

e)    Binfield Memorial Hall remains the polling station for the revised ‘BA’ polling

district.

 

f)     Farley Wood Community centre remains the polling station for the

unchanged ‘BB’ polling district with the electors concerned continuing to vote in the “Meeting Room” at the Community Centre.

 

g)    no changes are made to either polling districts ‘BB’ or ‘WM’, retaining

existing polling arrangements.

 

    iii)        the following change is made to the Bullbrook Ward:

 

a)    one additional polling station is created at Bullbrook Community Centre to

increase capacity at this polling place and reduce pressure on the two existing polling stations.

 

   iv)        the following change is made to the College Town Ward:

 

a)    designate the main sports hall at Sandhurst Secondary School as the default

polling station for electors in polling district ‘SO’. Should a scheduled exam clash with a polling day the existing arrangements at College Town Infants School would be reinstated.

 

    v)        the following changes are made to the Warfield Harvest Ride Ward:

 

a)    create a new polling district named ‘WE’ by splitting the existing ‘WG’ polling

district into two areas, as shown in Fig. 2 in Annexe A of the Director of Resources report.

 

b)    designate Westmoreland Pavilion as the polling station for the proposed ‘WE’

polling district.

 

c)    that voters in the revised ‘WG’ polling district continue to vote at Warfield

Community centre which would be a single polling station.

 

d)    that voters in the unchanged ‘WQ’ polling district continue to vote at Warfield

Community Centre.

 

   vi)        the following change is made to the Wildridings and Central Ward:

 

a)    designate the former Magistrates Court as the polling station for ‘BT’ electors for the 2019 elections.

 

b)    that subject to a re-evaluation by the Steering Group after planned renovation

work, for all subsequent polls, Bracknell Central Library is designated as the

polling station.

Reasons for the decision:

      i)        The proposals seek to update the current polling arrangements to ensure that all polling districts, places and stations are suitable for the next borough wide elections in May 2019.

 

     ii)        All proposals are made with the intention to balance the number of electors within each polling district; to ensure that polling places are convenient and easily accessible for voters and that polling arrangements have capacity to absorb future demand arising from new residential property developments.

 

Alternative options considered:

The Electoral Review Steering Group considered a number of potential locations to replace polling stations that were no longer suitable or available taking consideration of representations made by a number of stakeholders as part of the formal consultation process that ran from September to November 2017 – Shown in Annexe B of the Director of Resources report.

Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:

None

Reason Key: Affects more than 1 ward;

Wards Affected: (All Wards);

Financial Impact: None.

Declarations: None

Subject to Urgent Proceedings: No

Making Representations: In writing to the Director of Corporate Services.

Other reasons / organisations consulted

Consultation portal and parish meetings.

Consultees

Residents of the borough.

Contact: Glenda Favor-Ankersen, Electoral Services Manager Email: glenda.favor-ankersen@bracknell-forest.gov.uk Tel: 01344 352024.

Report author: Glenda Favor-Ankersen

Publication date: 17/07/2018

Date of decision: 17/07/2018

Decided at meeting: 17/07/2018 - Executive

Effective from: 25/07/2018

Accompanying Documents:

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk