Agenda item

Amendments to Polling Stations for 2 May 2024 Elections

Meeting of General Purposes Committee, Monday, 19th February, 2024 6.30 pm (Item 37/24)

To note the changes in the location of some polling stations for the Greater London Authority (GLA) elections on 2 May 2024.

Minutes:

The committee received a presentation from David Courcoux, the Director of Policy, Programmes, and Performance, and Seth Alker, the Head of Elections, on the report which set out the information on the Constituency Returning Officer’s decision to allocate electors to polling stations at the Greater London Authority elections on 2 May 2024 different from the Parliamentary election polling places that were approved by the Council on 27 January 2020 as set out below:

Ward	Polling District	Designated polling station (2020)	New polling station for GLA elections on 2 May 2024	Reason for decision
Bensham Manor	BMR5	Ecclesbourne Primary School Pegasus Trust, Atlee Close, CR7 7FA	Queen’s Community Hall, 1 Turner Crescent CR0 2NP	School unavailable. Queen’s Community Hall was used as a polling station for the district at the GLA elections in 2021
New Addington North	NAN3	Temporary Polling Station, Car Park, Outside 193-219 Dunsfold Way, CR0 0TR	Goldcrest Community Centre, Goldcrest Way, CR0 0PL	Temporary units unsuitable as polling station venue as result of changes in the Elections Act 2022. Goldcrest Community Centre is the designated polling place for NAN4 polling district and was also used as polling station for NAN3 at the GLA elections in 2021
Selhurst	SEL4	Whitehorse Resource Base, rear Entrance, 80 Whitehorse Road, CR0 2JJ	West Croydon Baptist Church, Whitehorse Road, CR0 2JH	Whitehorse Resource Base no longer available as a polling station
Shirley North	SHN1	Oasis Academy Primary School, Dining Room, Longhurst Road entrance, CR0 7AR	Woodside Baptist Church Hall, Spring Lane, SE25 4SP	School is unavailable. Woodside Baptist Church Hall is the designated polling station for WDS5 and was also used as polling station for SHN1 at the GLA elections in 2021.
Thornton Heath	TNH7	Spurgeons College, 189 South Norwood Hill, SE25 6DJ	Waterside Centre, 26 Avenue Road, SE25 4DX	Venue unavailable. Waterside Centre is the designated polling station for SND1
Waddon	WDN3	Temporary Polling Station, Waddon Court Road, CR0 4AG	Waddon Leisure Centre, Purley Way, CR0 4RG	Temporary units unsuitable as polling station venue as result of changes in the Elections Act 2022. Waddon Leisure Centre is the designated polling place for WDN4 polling district and was also used as polling station for WDN3 at the GLA elections in 2021
Woodside	WDS6	The Robert Fitzroy Academy, entrance on Northway Road, CR0 6JN	Woodside Christian Centre, 1 Woodside Green, London SE25 5EY	School is unavailable

Members asked why schools were classified as unavailable. Officers explained that the Minister had asked Councils to avoid using schools as polling places due to the effect on students, teachers and parents.

Officers informed the committee that the Greater London Authority (GLA) elections had been fixed for May 2024 and the Council was planning on the basis that it may be a combined election (GLA and general election). Officers were expecting a definite announcement before 26 March 2024 and arrangements were in place to hold a joint count for Croydon and Sutton at the Excel Centre in East London.

They further stated that as previously agreed, the full statutory review of all polling districts and polling places would be carried out after the May elections during the summer.

Officers also informed Members that one of the Deputy Greater London Returning Officers had confirmed that due to a legal obligation it was impossible on a London, wide basis to provide either turnout or other data on a ward level basis.

RESOLVED to:

2.1 Note the changes in the location of some polling stations for the Greater London Authority (GLA) elections on 2 May 2024, compared to the Mayor of Croydon and Croydon Council elections in May 2022.

2.2 Note the full list of polling places for the GLA elections on 2 May 2024 and any other elections before the completion of the next statutory review of polling districts and polling places as set out in Appendix 1 to the committee report.

2.3 Note that there would be no changes to polling district boundaries in advance of the completion of the statutory review of polling district and polling places in 2024, the timetable for which was approved by the General Purposes Committee on 9 October 2023.

2.4 Note that the Returning Officer, retained the authority to make further alterations to polling places if a venue became unavailable or unsuitable.

Supporting documents: