(Councillor Sarah
Broughton declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item in light
of her husband owning land at Great Barton (Severalls) which had been identified as a Polling
District within the report. She would
remain in the meeting and would take part in the debate and voting
thereon.
Councillor Jim
Thorndyke declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item as he
currently held the position of Chairman of the Stanton Village Hall
Committee and was quoted in this capacity within the report. He
would remain in the meeting and would take part in the debate and
voting thereon.)
The Local Government Boundary Commission for
England (LGBCE) reviewed the Council’s electoral arrangements
and the final recommendations for the West Suffolk Council ward
boundaries were published on 12 October 2018.
The Council was required to review polling
districts and places and to approve a new schedule of polling
districts to take account of the new ward boundaries; particularly
in Brandon, Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill, Mildenhall and Newmarket
where the majority of ward boundaries had changed.
Councillor Ruth Bowman, one of the Cabinet
Members for Future Governance, explained that as part of the review
comments were sought from members of the public, local political
groups, Parish Councils, Borough and District Councillors, County
Councillors and the (Acting) Returning Officer for the South
Suffolk constituency. Comments were
invited via an online survey or by sending an email or letter to
the Electoral Services team.
Councillor Bowman moved that the schedules of
Polling Districts and Polling Places, attached as Appendices 3 and
4 of Report No COU/SA/19/002, be approved and this was duly
seconded by Councillor Carol Bull.
Councillor David Nettleton spoke on the item
and made reference to pages 26, 27 and 33 of the
report and the reference therein to a “Bury St Edmunds
Councillor” in relation to comments made about polling
stations in Abbeygate, Eastgate and Westgate wards.
Councillor Nettleton confirmed
that he was the Councillor in question and explained that his
comments in relation to the wards concerned were:
·
A suggestion that the 422 Westgate Ward electors
transferred from Abbeygate Ward should
continue to vote at the Hyndman Centre on the northern side of
Hospital Road;
·
If Bury Town Football Club was found to be
unavailable then electors from the Eastgate 2 polling district should be found another
easily accessible polling station rather than be asked to travel to
Garland Street; and
·
The unsuitability of Whiting Street for electors
living south of the river Linnet in Abbeygate 1 due to being an uphill walk and the
nearest car parking being some distance away.
For these reasons, Councillor
Nettleton explained that he would not be supporting the report
unless Recommendation 2 was amended to state that the issue he
highlighted with Abbeygate 1,
principally, was “investigated further”.
During the debate questions on
other elements of the report were posed and the following responses
were provided:
·
Confirmation that the letters to be sent to
residents advising of a change to their polling ...
view the full minutes text for item 64.