Issue - meetings

The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 requires compulsory reviews of UK Parliamentary polling districts and polling places every five years. A compulsory review must be completed by 31st January 2020. A consultation is under way to inform this process. It is recommended that a Working Group of Members is established to consider representations received and for their proposals to be brought back before this Committee on 26 November 2019.

The Committee agreed:

(1)            That a Working Group be established to consider all representations received in respect of the public consultation in respect of Polling Districts, polling Places and Polling Stations;

(2)            That the Working Group comprise of 5 members with the Chairman of the Residents’ Association, the Leader of the Liberal Democrat group and the Leader of the Labour group having nominated 3 members, 1 member and 1 member respectively as detailed in paragraph 4.2 of the report, and Councillor Christine Howells as the nominated representative from Nonsuch Ward agreed at the meeting.

(3)            That this Committee considers the proposals of the Working Group at its meeting on 26 November 2019.

The Committee received a report regarding the review of polling places and in accordance with the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 it was compulsory and had to be completed by 31 January 2020.

A consultation was underway and it was proposed that a working group be established to consider representations for the proposals.

In response to a question regarding a motion moved at Council (Item 7, Motion 2, Annex 2 – Minute no.18). it was confirmed that one of the aims in establishing a working party was to manage and collate the feedback from the two schools that were effected by closure during term time.   Furthermore the two schools had been sent the consultation document in order that the parents/guardians could be made aware of the review and have the opportunity to make comments.

It was confirmed that Councillor Christine Howells from Nonsuch Ward had been nominated to sit on the working group.

Suggestions were made to combine polling places however the Committee was informed that the Council were constrained by electoral registration rules.

Members involved in the working group were reminded that three meetings had been arranged to consider the representations on 16, 17 and 18 October

Accordingly, the Committee agreed:

(1)            That a Working Group be established to consider all representations received in respect of the public consultation in respect of Polling Districts, polling Places and Polling Stations;

(2)            That the Working Group comprise of 5 members with the Chairman of the Residents’ Association, the Leader of the Liberal Democrat group and the Leader of the Labour group having nominated 3 members, 1 member and 1 member respectively as detailed in paragraph 4.2 of the report, and Councillor Christine Howells as the nominated representative from Nonsuch Ward agreed at the meeting.

(3)            That this Committee considers the proposals of the Working Group at its meeting on 26 November 2019.