Agenda item

Report of the Managing Director

The Managing Director submitted a report (previously circulated) requesting that consideration be given to changes to a number of polling places (commonly known as polling stations) to be used at the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and the Tees Valley Combined Authority Mayoral (TVCAM) Elections, and any by-elections, scheduled to be held on Thursday, 6 May 2021, and the delegation of power to the Assistant Director Law and Governance (the Returning Officer) to change the location of polling places in the event that a designated polling place is no longer available or suitable.

The submitted report stated that when booking the polling places for the elections scheduled to be held in May 2021, Officers were made aware that number of the polling places were unavailable, and that as a result of this unavailability a number of alternative polling places had been proposed.

RESOLVED – (a) That the following changes to polling places, commonly known as polling stations, for all elections scheduled to take place on 6 May 2021, be noted and approved:-

(i)         College Ward (Polling Districts COA, COB and COC) to vote at the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Sports Pavilion, Abbey Road Playing Field, Abbey Road, Darlington, in place of the classrooms in the main Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College building.

(ii)        Hummersknott Ward (Polling Districts HKA and HKB) to vote at Salutation Hall, Salutation Road, Darlington, in place of Carmel College.

(iii)      North Road Ward (Polling District NRA) to vote at Darlington Elim Pentecostal Church, Bowman Street, Darlington, in place of St. Thomas Aquinas Church Hall.

(iv)      Park East Ward (Polling Districts PEA) to vote at the Friends Meeting House, Skinnergate, Darlington, in place of St. Augustine’s Parish Centre.

(v)       Park West Ward (Polling District PWC) to vote at Darlington Baptist Church, Grange Road, Darlington, in place of St. Augustine’s Parish Centre; and

(vi)      Sadberge and Middleton St George Ward (Polling Districts SMA and SMC) to vote at Bishopton Village Hall, Bishopton, in place of Great Stainton Church Hall.

(b) That power be delegated to the Assistant Director Law and Governance (the Returning Officer), in consultation with Cabinet Member with the Resources Portfolio, Group Leaders and relevant Ward Members, to change the location of polling places in the event that a designated polling place is no longer available or suitable.

REASONS - (a) To comply with the requests received from Carmel College and Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College to use alternative premises and to find alternative venue(s) for those polling places that are unavailable; and

(b) To allow further changes to be made to the approved list of polling places should they be unavailable or unsuitable.