Meeting documents

General Purposes Committee
Wednesday, 16th November, 2011 6.00 am

Place:
Committee Room 7, Civic Centre, Southend-on-Sea
 

Attendance Details

ItemDescriptionResolution
Part I
488 Apologies and substitutions.
 Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Betson and Carr (substitute Jones)
489 Declarations of interest.
 There were no declarations of interest made.
490 Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places/Polling Stations
Business for item 490
Resolved:-

1. That a polling place be defined as the building (including surrounding grounds) containing one or more polling stations within which voting may take place.

2. That the comments received in response to the public consultation exercises on the polling districts and polling places/stations, as set out in Appendices 2 and 4 to the submitted report together with the late representation referred to above, be noted.

3. That the proposed amendments to the polling districts and polling places, as set out in the report of the Returning Officer (Appendix 3 of the submitted report), be approved subject to the following:-

(a) the Bournes Green Junior School being retained as the polling place/station for polling district EKZ

(b) the Returning Officer exploring the possibility of locating a portable unit on the Greyhound Trading Park for use as a polling station (instead of Coleman Street Community Centre). In the event that this was not possible, the Cornerstone United Reformed Church, Central Avenue/Bournemouth Park Road would be the polling place/station for polling district EBZ

Recommended:-

That the Returning Officer be authorised to determine variations to polling places that may be necessary for a particular election and that Paragraph 4.1 of Part 3, Schedule 2 of the Constitution (Delegation to Officers), be amended accordingly.
6.00pm/7.40pm

Attendance Details

Present:
Cllr C W Walker (Chairman), Cllr M Assenheim, Cllr J I Courtenay, Cllr A Crystall, Cllr A J Jones*, Cllr B T Kelly, Cllr B Robin, Cllr M W Terry

(*substitute in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 31)
In attendance:
R Tinlin, C Gamble and T Row

Business

ItemBusiness
490The Committee considered a report by the Corporate Director Support Services proposing amendments to polling districts and polling places in the parliamentary constituencies of Southend West and Rochford and Southend East that fall within the Borough.

Members noted that consultation was undertaken on the existing polling districts and polling places/stations in accordance with the statutory requirements. Following the conclusion of that exercise, the Returning Officer's proposals were publicised for consultation. Members received a summary of the representations received in response to both consultation exercises together with a late representation opposing the proposal to relocate the polling place/station at Coleman Street Community Centre to Cornerstone United Reformed Church, Central Avenue/Bournemouth Park Road.

Members were asked to be mindful that over the years, much work had been undertaken to ensure that the arrangements made were convenient to electors across the Borough. The boundary changes to Borough and Parish wards and changes implemented following the previous review of polling districts and polling places/stations had improved the arrangements. Moreover, at the end of each election, comments received from the Returning Officer, polling station inspectors and presiding officers were considered and used to implement changes to polling stations, particularly in relation to the access of buildings. An access survey had been undertaken in respect of all the polling stations and the findings had resulted in some accessibility improvements to a number of the polling stations.

 

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