Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2024

Stroud District Council is carrying out an Interim 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.

Stroud District Council may undertake a review of polling districts and places within the local authority outside of the ‘compulsory review period’ where consequential boundary reviews would or have directly impacted the current polling district and place arrangements currently in place.

This review is being undertaken as a result of the outcome of the review of County Council boundaries undertaken by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) which concluded in March 2024. Following this review we are required to review the Hamfallow Parish and Randwick and Westrip Parish wards and polling districts as a result of boundary changes which have been amended by the LGBCE. The draft Gloucestershire (Electoral Changes) Order 2024 was laid before parliament on the 25 July and is currently going through the objection period before the Order will become Law.

Our review will formally start on Friday 25 October 2024. This will commence the public consultation which will end on Sunday 1 December 2024. Once concluded, final proposals will be collated and then considered by Full Council on Thursday 19 December 2024. If agreed, the amendments will come into effect at the 1 May County Council Elections.

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

The documents from the review can be found below including details on how to make a submission. Alternatively you can view the documents in Reception at Ebley Mill.

Polling District Review Documents

Notice of Review of Polling District

Polling District Review Fact Sheet

Polling District Review Draft Recommendations

Polling District Review Maps

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

Each parish is to be a separate polling district unless special circumstances apply.
Council 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.

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)	Friday 25 October 2024
Acting Returning Officers representations to be published	Friday 25 October 2024
End of the consultation period	Sunday 1 December 2024
Consideration of all representations	December
Report considered by Council	Thursday 19 December 2024
Re-publication of the revised register (using new polling districts)	Thursday 2 January 2025
Revised arrangements come into force	January 2025

Stroud District Council invites the views from all interested parties in relation to the designation of polling districts, polling places and polling stations within Hamfallow and Randwick and Westrip. 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 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.

Please also indicate if there are any other suitable premises that could be used, taking into consideration the legislative guidelines listed in section 2.

Submissions can be made online here.

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.

Representations must be received by Sunday 1 December 2024 or they will not be considered as part of the polling district review.

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

Maps associated with the areas under review can be found here.