Polling District Review 2019

POLLING DISTRICTS AND POLLING STATION REVIEW

 

Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places in accordance with the requirements of Section 18C(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013.

 

Background

 

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England published its final recommendations for new electoral arrangements for Hartlepool Borough Council.  The recommendations were approved by Parliament and the Hartlepool (Electoral Changes) Order 2019 has been made and published.  The new electoral arrangements will come into force at the Local Elections in May 2020.

 

The Local Government Boundary Commission has recommended an increase in the number of Wards within the Borough from 11 to 12, each Ward to have three Councillors.  Each Ward is required to be sub-divided into polling districts.  In the review, a number of Wards had minor changes with one remaining exactly the same.

 

This Polling District & Polling Place Review has been based on the existing Ward boundaries as it has to be completed prior to the Parliamentary Order coming into effect.  Consideration has been given to contents of the Parliamentary Order with additional polling districts identified to facilitate a smooth transition when the new arrangements come into effect for the 2020 elections.  This has resulted in an increase from 62 to 68 Polling Districts.

 

A polling place is provided for electors living within each polling district.  The proposed changes to Wards mean that the Council is required to carry out a review of polling districts and polling places within the Borough, pursuant to Section 18C of the Representation of the People Act 1983.  Hartlepool Borough Council is therefore conducting a review of polling districts and polling places.

 

As the Electoral Administration Act 2006 requires the Council to carry out a review every four years whereby by the Council is required to exercise its duty to review polling stations in the Borough with a view to giving all electors such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable, and so far as is reasonable and practicable, to designate as polling places only places which are accessible to electors who are disabled.

 

A polling place for a polling district is expected to be an area in that district , except where special circumstances make it desirable to designate an area wholly or outside the polling district.  Any polling district is expected to be small enough to indicate to electors in different parts of the polling district how they will be able to reach the polling station.

 

 

The main issues considered in the development of the proposals for polling districts and polling places are as follows:

 

  • no more than 2,500 electors should poll at any polling station (not including postal voters); however, there can be more than one polling station in a polling place;

 

  • the location, size and layout of a polling station when deciding the number of electors to be allocated to a polling district;

 

  • proposed future developments in the Borough that will increase the number of houses and the potential number of electors in a ward or polling district over the next four years (this has been taken into account with population projections in the Local Government Boundary Commission review);

 

  • accessibility to polling places for people with disabilities;

 

  • whether the proposed polling places avoid barriers for the voter including major roads, rivers, steep hills etc;

 

  • feedback received following all elections from members of the public, Elected Members and organisations.

 

The Acting Returning Officer’s proposals for the Polling Districts and suitability of Polling Places accompany this report and are available or inspection at the Civic Centre, Victoria Road, Hartlepool and on the Council’s website below

 

The final date for comments on the Acting Returning Officer’s representations is Friday, 4 October 2019.

 

Please note that all representations are required by law to be published and that if an individual does not want their representation attributed to them; they will need to let us know.

 

Please send representation to:

 

The Acting Returning Officer

Hartlepool Borough Council

Civic Centre

Victoria Road

Hartlepool

TS24 8AY

 

Email:  elections@hartlepool.gov.uk

 

 

Additional Information

 

Boundary Commission for England

 – Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in England

 

It should also be noted that the Boundary Commission for England presented its final recommendations to Government on 5 September 2018 regarding the Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in England.  Parliamentary boundaries define the area where a person votes for their MP, their parliamentary constituency.  During the 2018 Boundary Review areas were examined and proposals made for a new set of boundaries which were considered fairer and more equal, whilst also trying to reflect geographic local and local ties.

 

The Hartlepool Parliamentary Constituency currently is conterminous, however in the new proposal, the Constituency would be expanded to include the Blackhalls and Wingate Wards from Durham County Council.  Should the proposals be adopted by Parliament and an order laid, there is no intention to change the polling places currently used by Durham, these being:

 

Polling Place

Elector Count

Wingate community Centre, Front Street, Wingate

917

Gully House, Gully Road, Wingate

2092

Hesleden Wokingman’s Club, Front Street, Hesleden

593

St Francis Community Hall, Front Street, Hutton Henry

458

Castle Eden Village Hall, Stockton Road, Castle Eden

491

Blackhall Resource Centre, 68 Middle Street, Blackhall Colliery

2194

St Joseph’s Church Hall, Coast Road, Blackhall

726

Kasko House, Marine Crescent, Blackhall Rocks

957

Milbank Methodist Church, Milbank Chapel Terrace. Station Town

757

 

 

What happens next?

 

Once the Consultation period has closed, all comments and suggestions will be considered and the Acting Returning Officer will approve the final recommendations.

 

Once approved, the new polling districts and stations will be posted on the Council’s website.

 

Further, once the new Warding arrangements come into effect the new polling districts and polling places will be used in the 7 May 2020 Local Elections.  Any by-elections held before 7 May 2020 will be based on the current warding arrangements

 

Further Information 

Proposed Polling District Maps 

Acting Returning Officers Report

Notice of Review

Situation of Existing Polling Station List

Exisiting Polling Station Maps

Existing Street Index