Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Chief Executive.

The report requests the views of the Committee on the current proposed polling arrangements within the area in order to inform the Polling District Review currently underway.

The views of the Area Committee are sought on the proposed polling arrangements. Any comments or suggestions will then be considered, together with those received via the public consultation (Stage 1 and Stage 2).  Revised proposals will be brought back to the Area Committee cycle in October 2022 for consideration prior to a final report being considered by the Cabinet Meeting on 1 November 2022 and the Council Meeting on 17 November 2022.

Officer contact: Vicki Bates on 474 3219 or email: vicki.bates@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Strategic Head of Service (Legal & Democratic Governance and Monitoring Officer) submitted a report of the Chief Executive (copies of which had been circulated) seeking the views of the Committee on the current proposed polling arrangements within the area in order to inform the Polling District Review currently underway.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·       A lot of work had been done in previous years in relation to the accessibility of polling stations themselves, but further work needed to be done to assess the accessibility of routes to those polling stations.

·       It was suggested that some polling stations in Reddish South would now cover a larger geographical area and it was queried whether these stations would be able to handle the larger number of voters.

·       The closure of Christ Church Methodist Church had necessitated the use of Reddish Library as a dual polling station and this may need to continue until such a point that the future of the church had been determined.

·       It was queried whether North Reddish Park Community Centre could be available for continued use as a polling station as it had been used as such in the past.

RESOLVED – That the Chief Executive be requested to consider the comments of the Area Committee as part of the current Polling District Review.