Agenda item

To consider a report by the Elections and Democratic Services Manager on the outcome of a review of polling districts, polling places and polling stations.

The Council considered a report by the Elections and Democratic Services Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) summarising consultation that had been undertaken on proposed changes to the Council’s Schedule of Polling Districts and Polling Places following the completion of a recent review of electoral arrangements by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) of Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdonshire District Council. In so doing, the Deputy Leader, Councillor G J Bull, informed Members that Group Leaders had been consulted on the report and the proposed changes to polling districts must be made to ensure that all electors have reasonable facilities for voting.

In the ensuing discussion, Councillors B S Chapman, D A Giles and Ms S A Giles referred to their disagreement with the new boundaries within St Neots and lack of consultation, whereby it was explained that full consultation was undertaken by the LGBCE on changes to the electoral arrangements and had already been imposed by way of Order and the report presented was to enable the amendment of polling districts in line with these changes. Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

that the following changes be made to the Council’s Schedule of Polling Districts and Polling Places –

(a)  that a new polling district (CT) be created in Huntingdon as the new electoral division boundaries of Huntingdon North and Hartford division and Godmanchester and Huntingdon South division are not coterminous with the existing polling district boundaries of CJ and CH to allow for electors in this polling district to vote in the correct electoral division as shown on the map attached at Appendix B;

(b)  that electors in the area affected by the lack of coterminosity by the new District wards of Huntingdon North ward and The Stukeleys ward not being coterminous with the existing polling districts of CP and CR be moved from CR to CP on publication of the revised register on 1st December 2017 as shown on the map attached at Appendix B;

(c)  that a new polling district (EX) be created in St Ives as the new electoral division boundaries of St Ives North and Wyton division and St Ives South and Needingworth division are not coterminous with the existing polling district boundaries of EC and ED to allow for electors in this polling district and new town ward of Beech to vote in the correct electoral division as shown on the map attached at Appendix C;

(d)  that electors in the area affected by the lack of coterminosity by the new District wards of St Ives East ward and St Ives West ward not being coterminous with the existing polling districts of ED and DY be moved from ED to DY on publication of the revised register on 1st December 2017 as shown on the map attached at Appendix C;

(e)  that a new polling district be created in Fenstanton for the Fenstanton South parish ward as the new County electoral divisions are not coterminous with the new District ward boundaries in this area and the remaining electors in polling district BJ re-named as Fenstanton North parish ward to be created on publication of the revised register on 1st December 2017 to ensure that elections can be run using the new boundaries. A copy of the map detailing the boundaries is attached at Appendix D;

(f)  that polling district EL be amended to be coterminous with the new St Neots Priory Park Town ward on publication of the revised register on 1st December 2017 to ensure that elections can be run using the new boundaries as shown on the map attached at Appendix E;

(g)  that a new polling district be created for the new St Neots Church Town ward and polling district EJ be amended to be coterminous with the new St Neots Priory Park Town ward on publication of the revised register on 1st December 2017 to ensure that elections can be run using the new boundaries as shown on the map attached at Appendix E;

(h)  that polling district EN split by the new District Wards of St Neots Priory Park and Little Paxton ward and St Neots Eatons ward be amended to be coterminous with the new St Neots Eaton Ford Town ward and a new polling district be created for the Crosshall Town ward on publication of the revised register on 1st December 2017 to ensure that elections can be run using the new boundaries. A copy of the map detailing the boundaries is attached at Appendix E; and

(i)  that a separate polling district FQ be created for Alconbury Weald to take account of the continued planned development as shown on the map attached at Appendix F.