Agenda item
Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places
1.1 The Electoral Administration Act 2006 and the subsequent Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places Regulations 2006 require each electoral registration authority in England, Scotland and Wales to carry out a review of both its polling district boundaries and its polling places every four years. This report concerns the third such review to take place in Brent, informs members of feedback to the review and makes recommendations for future electoral arrangements in the borough.
Minutes:
Sean O’Sullivan (Electoral Services Manager) presented a report to the committee detailing a recent review of polling district boundaries and polling places in Brent and setting out recommendations for future electoral arrangements in the borough. The review had been held in accordance with the Electoral Administration Act 2006 and the subsequent Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places Regulations 2006 which required that each electoral registration authority in England, Scotland and Wales undertake such a review every four years. The Council was obliged to give notice of the review and to consult with interested parties. As part of the review, the Returning Officer for Brent had been obliged to prepare a report on arrangements for the authority. The report set out the Returning Officer’s recommendations for alternative polling station locations where existing venues had become unavailable and some adjustments to polling district boundaries where districts had outgrown the capacity of the polling station location. Members’ attention was drawn to the summary of the Returning Officer’s proposals and consultation feedback provided by Ward. The meeting was advised that any changes agreed by the committee would be incorporated into the Revised Register for Brent being published on 17 February 2014.
Sean O’Sullivan referred members to the recommendations listed at paragraphs 2.1 to 2.13 of the report; in addition to these, the committee was also asked to consider the proposals for Brondesbury Park Ward as set out at paragraph 3.10 of the report.
During the subsequent discussion, the committee sought clarification regarding arrangements for the proposed polling place at the Civic Centre, including parking for electors and location of tellers. A query was raised regarding the processes in place to ensure an elector attending the wrong polling station was appropriately redirected. Noting its current unavailability, a member commented that the Father O’Callaghan Centre had been an important and well located polling place for electors. In contrast, it was considered that the Holy Innocents Church Hall, to which it was proposed the polling place be moved, was poorly located. It was agreed that further exploration of suitable venues for the polling place for polling district NFR1 would be undertaken. The committee further advised that the proposal to transfer the properties in Tanfield Avenue to polling district CDU2 should be extended to include properties in nearby Lovat Close.
Responding to the issues raised, Sean O’Sullivan advised that discussions were being held with the building managers for the Civic Centre regarding parking; it was possible that the private road next to the building could be utilised. Electors would be directed to the main entrance of the Civic Centre and tellers would be informed of this. It was explained that the proposal to relocate a polling place to the Civic Centre had been driven by the growth of the polling district which had made the current polling place less suitable. The committee was assured that the council was obliged to write to any electors affected by any changes. Furthermore, polling station staff were trained to ensure that they were able to redirect any electors attending the wrong polling station. If staff encountered any difficulties, they would be able to contact the electoral services office for advice.
RESOLVED:
(i) that, in view of the current unavailability of the Willesden Green Library in Brondesbury Park Ward, the polling place for polling district HBP1be the community room of George Furness House on Grange Road;
(ii) that properties in Sidmouth Road, which currently fall into polling district HBP1 be transferred into polling district HBP3;
(iii) that the former Brent Town Hall polling place in Barnhill ward be replaced in 2014 by temporary huts in the vicinity of the town hall and that negotiations be held with the new owners for the use of part of the building as a polling place in future years;
(iv) that properties in Tanfield Avenue and Lovat Close in polling district CDU 1 be transferred to CDU2 polling district;
(v) that in view of the unavailability of the Father O’Callaghan Centre, a temporary hut be placed in the district, the exact location to be consulted on with the three group leaders;
(vi) that properties in Salmon Street in polling district NFR6 be transferred into NFR4;
(vii) that properties in Chadwick, Fawcett and Fry Roads in polling district CHA2 be transferred to polling district CHA4;
(viii) that the polling place at St John’s United Reform Church in Kenton ward be replaced by St Gregory’s Science College;
(ix) that the polling place at Moberly Sports and Education Centre in Queen’s Park ward be replaced by ARK Franklin Academy (formerly Kensal Rise School);
(x) that properties in Mortimer Road in polling district HQP2 in Queen’s Park ward be transferred to HQP3;
(xi) that properties in North Way and Tintern Avenue in polling district NQY3 in Queensbury ward be transferred to NQY5;
(xii) that the polling place at St Joseph’s Social Club in Tokyngton ward be replaced by the Civic Centre;
(xiii) that properties in Lincoln, Napier and Scarle Roads and part of Chaplin Road in polling district NWC2 in Wembley Central ward be transferred to NWC3;
(xiv) that the polling places approved at this meeting be adopted for the Municipal and European Parliamentary elections on 22 May 2014;
(xv) that in the event of any polling station becoming unavailable before the May 2014 elections, authority be delegated to the Democratic Services Manager to make any further changes required to polling places for these elections in consultation with the leaders of the three political groups on the Council.
Supporting documents: