Agenda item

INTERIM POLLING REVIEW - FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Meeting of Extraordinary meeting, Council, Wednesday, 1st March, 2023 6.00 pm, NEW (Item 136.)

Following a period of consultation which ran to 31^st January we received good engagement from the various parishes included in this review.

We have also received some good feedback in terms of additional information which we were not previously aware of and also alternative potential locations.

We are now in a position to make final recommendations for Full Council to consider with any adoptions being implemented at the forthcoming Local Council Elections on Thursday 4^th May 2023.

Recommendation

That Full Council adopts the proposals set out below:

Thornage (STO7)

To recommend that Gregories Barn, Thornage Hall is designated the Polling Place and Polling Station for the civil parish of Thornage (STO7) replacing the existing arrangement at Thornage All Saints Church with immediate effect.

Overstrand (PO2)

To recommend that Overstrand Parish Hall is retained as the designated Polling Station for the civil parish of Overstrand (PO2).

Hoveton (HT4)

To recommend that The Broadland Youth and Community Centre is used on a trial basis as the Polling Place and Polling Station for the civil parish of Hoveton (HT4) at the forthcoming Local Elections in May with an evaluation taking place after the election.

Holkham (WH1)

To recommend that The Ancient House is used for parish polling for the civil parish of Holkham (WH1) at the Local Elections being held on Thursday 4^th May 2023. Following an evaluation we will look to formally re-designating the polling station to The Ancient House at the next full review of the district arrangements.

North Walsham North (NWW2)

To recommend that St Benets Hall be designated as the Polling Place and Polling Station for the North ward of the civil parish of North Walsham with immediate effect.

Minutes:

The Leader introduced this item. He thanked officers for their hard work on this and said it had been complex and challenging.

The Chairman invited members to speak:

Cllr A Fitch-Tillett said she wanted to pay tribute to the Elections Team Leader for working with Overstrand Parish Council to change the original proposal to one that they were happy with.

Cllr N Dixon referred to the proposals for Hoveton and page 29 of the report. He said new information had come to light which could impact on the choice of location for the polling station. He explained that the report indicated that there was a hire cost of £1000 per day to use the village hall and this was stated as being prohibitively expensive and that was why the Broadland Youth and Community Centre was proposed. Cllr Dixon said that this was incorrect and that the hire charge for the village hall was £10 per hour and he question how this error had occurred, whilst acknowledging that the references in the report to the good relationship that had developed between the Elections team and the Broadland Youth and Community Centre. He added that there was more car parking at the village hall and this would make it a better venue and proposed that an amendment was made to revert use the village hall as the polling station for Hoveton.

The Chief Executive said that this was a legitimate request and said that additional communication had since been received from the Village Hall Committee confirming the hire charge of £10 ph. There was therefore no issue with retaining the village hall as the polling station for Hoveton.

Cllr N Dixon proposed the following amendment: ‘That Hoveton Village Hall is retained as the polling place and polling station for the civil parish of Hoveton (HT4)’.

Cllr L Shires seconded the amendment.

Cllr A Brown referred to the original proposal to relocate the polling station for Thornage to Briningham and he thanked the Elections team for proposing that Gregory’s Barn at Thornage Hall was used instead.

Cllr N Lloyd referred to page 29 and the reference to North Walsham North ward and asked for clarification. The Chief Executive replied that this was a town council ward and not a District council ward.

It was proposed by Cllr T Adams, seconded by Cllr A Brown and

RESOLVED to approve the following recommendations (as amended)