Mandatory reviews are carried out every five years, with the last taking place in 2019. Interim reviews can be carried out at any time and an interim review was held in 2022 to take account of the changes to the district ward boundaries, made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE).
The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) has recently concluded its review of the parliamentary constituency boundaries and they will come into effect at the next UK Parliamentary General Election, which will be held at any time before 28 January 2025.
The district ward boundaries and the parliamentary constituency boundaries are not part of this review, although they will be reviewed periodically by the relevant Boundary Committee or Commission.
Representations are invited from residents, political parties and local councillors, persons or groups with particular expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for those with varying forms of disability, and local community groups.
The aim of the review is to:
- Ensure, as far as practicable, an equal electorate for member representation;
- Review polling stations to ensure they are fit for purpose, and if not, identify suitable alternatives; and
- Ensure all polling stations are accessible for all electors.
The Review Process
The council invites comments on the proposals from the Acting Returning Officer. All representations will be considered by the Acting Returning Officer and will be published in the final report. Full Council will consider the proposals and make a final decision.
The Electoral Commission recognises that there may be little choice available in the location of polling places, but every reasonable adjustment must be undertaken to provide access to all electors. The choice of a polling place will often be a balance between the quality of a building (access, facilities, etc.) and the proximity of the building to electors.
The council appreciates the co-operation of polling places in providing their building for the day so that electors have a convenient place to vote. Within these proposals, the intention is not to make unnecessary changes to polling districts and polling places, but to address any issues which may have arisen at recent elections. The proposals are informed by feedback by the Acting Returning Office, polling station staff, polling station inspectors and electors.
The principles underlying the council's approach to polling districts and polling places are:
- To try and identify new polling places in areas where the existing provision is inadequate.
- To ensure, as far as practicable, that polling places are accessible to people with disabilities.
- To ensure that all electors have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances.
- To try and minimise disruption to schools.
The Review timetable
The timetable for the review is set out below:
2 October, 2023 - Formal notice of review
2 October, 2023 - Publication of (Acting) Returning Officer’s comments in the consultation document
2 October, 2023 - Commencement of public consultation period
29 October, 2023 - End of public consultation period
23 November, 2023 - Final proposals considered by Governance and Ethics Committee
6 December, 2023 - Full Council to consider and agree final scheme of polling districts, places and stations
2 January, 2024 - Publication of revised electoral register
How to respond to the consultation
The public consultation has now closed.