Interim Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2023

Stroud District Council is carrying out out a Polling District and Polling Places review pursuant to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 and other relevant statutory provisions.

The consultation has now closed for this review.

The responses following the consultation of the polling district review can be found in the 'Polling District Review' document section below.

Under the Representation of the People Act and The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 require the Acting Returning Officer to undertake a review of the UK Parliamentary polling districts and polling places within the Stroud District every 5 years. The next statutory review is not due until 1 October 2023 - 1 January 2025, however we are conducting an interim review following the conclusion of the Community Governance Review. The Community Governance Review was approved at Council on Thursday 20 July 2023 and agreed the creation of a new Parish Council. The interim Polling District Review is being conducted to ensure a relevant polling station is appointed to this parish and to align the polling district boundaries with the respective Parish boundaries.

The public consultation will start on Tuesday 25 July 2023 and will end on Sunday 17 September 2023. Once concluded, final proposals will be collated and then considered by Full Council on Thursday 26 October 2023. If agreed, the amendments will come into effect when the revised electoral register is published on Friday 1 December 2023.

Stroud District Council invites the views from all interested parties in relation to the designation of polling districts, polling places and polling stations. In particular we wish to hear from any residents or groups/organisations that have specific expertise in access for persons with disabilities.

When making representations please provide any relevant information you can about your current polling place or station, include how convenient (or not) its location is in relation to where you live, whether the parking is adequate, if there are any accessibility issues for disabled persons and/or persons who use a wheelchair and how suitable overall the polling place or station is for voting.

Polling District Review Documents

The review must be undertaken to ensure that all elector have reasonable and suitable facilities for voting. When reviewing our polling district, places and stations we will follow the following legislative guidelines;

Each parish is to be separate polling district unless special circumstances apply;
Must designate a polling place for each polling district unless the situation of the polling station does not materially effect the convenience of the elector;
The polling place must be in an area in the polling district unless special circumstances mean it is not possible to locate an appropriate place for polling, then it can be wholly or partly moved outside of the polling district;
The polling place must be small enough to indicate to electors in different parts of the district how they will be able to reach the polling station;
Seek to ensure that all electors in the local authority have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances;
Seek to ensure that the polling place has appropriate accessibility for electors who are disabled so far as is reasonable.

Where possible 'natural' boundaries should be used e.g. railways, major roads, waterways etc and all minor roads or estates should be in one polling district.

Polling places should be 'logical' i.e. electors should not have to travel past another polling place to get to another.

Neither the boundaries for parliamentary constituencies nor local ward boundaries will be part of this review.

How to make a submission

Stroud District Council invites the views from all interested parties in relation to the designation of polling districts, polling places and polling stations. In particular, we wish to hear from any individuals or groups/organisations that have specific expertise in access for persons with disabilities.

When making representations please provide any relevant information you can about your current polling place or station, include information on the following:

How convenient (or not) the location is in relation to where you live;
If the parking is adequate;
If there is any accessibility issues for disabled persons and/or persons who use a wheelchair;
How suitable overall the polling place or station is for voting.

Please also indicate if there are any other suitable premises that could be used taking into consideration the legislative guidelines listed in the induction.

Representations must have been received by Sunday 17 October 2023 or they will not be considered as part of the polling district review.

Submissions can be made online at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/IPDR2023/

If you would prefer to make your representation in writing please do so by writing to:

Polling District Review
Electoral Services
Ebley Mill
Ebley Wharf
Stroud
GL5 4UB

Or alternatively email elections@stroud.gov.uk and ensure to include your name and address in the body of the email as well.

Polling district
A geographical area created by the sub-division of a UK Parliamentary Constituency. All electors within the polling district will attend the same voting place (unless a postal vote is in place).

Polling place
The building or area in which a polling station will be provided by the Acting Returning Officer within the polling district (unless special circumstances mean this is not possible)

Polling station
The room or area within the polling place where the process of voting takes place during an election e.g. a room in a village hall.

The Electoral Commission has guided that no polling station can have more than 2,250 voters assigned to it that would vote in person. This does not mean that the polling district cannot be more than this, but if so the polling place and station must be split into multiple polling stations (i.e. become a double station) and therefore be able to accompany the extra equipment required for this (e.g. polling booths).

Notice of Review (commencement of consultation)	Tuesday 25 July 2023
Acting Returning Officers representations to be published	Tuesday 25 July 2023
End of the consultation period	Sunday 17 September 2023
Consideration of all representations	September - October
Report submitted to Council	Wednesday 18 October 2023
Final proposals published (subject to Council approval)	Thursday 26 October 2023
Re-publication of the revised register (using new polling districts)	Friday 1 December 2023
Revised arrangements come into force	May 2024

The Council will publish:

All correspondence received in connection with the review
All representations made by any person in connection with the review
Details of the designations of polling districts or polling places agreed as a result of the review
Details of where the results of the review have been published.

All person information will be redacted for the purposes of publishing responses.