Parliamentary Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2023/24
The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 requires all local authorities to complete a review of their parliamentary polling districts and polling places every five years. This review must be completed between October 2023 and January 2025.
The review requires the council to:
Seek to ensure that all electors in the constituency have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable.
Seek to ensure that so far as is reasonable and practicable, the polling places they are responsible for are accessible to all electors, and when considering the designation of a polling place, must have regard to accessibility needs.
Parliamentary Boundaries
As a result of the recent Boundary Commission for England review, the parliamentary constituency boundaries for the Hertsmere area are changing. Further information on the Boundary Commission England (BCE) review and forthcoming changes can be found on the Boundary Commission for England website.
As part of the review the council with take into the consideration the BCE changes, and the need to hold a UK Parliamentary General Election before 28 January 2025, to ensure that elections can be delivered successfully and that voting facilities are convenient and accessible for electors.
This review does not consider the following:
The changing of any district ward boundaries (which can only be done by statute following an electoral review carried out by the Local Government Boundary Commission). This review is concerned only with the administrative subdivision of a ward into polling districts, which are then assigned polling places.
The changing of polling districts in areas which are also aligned with parish boundaries and therefore cannot be amended during this review.
'Parliamentary constituency' is the area designated by the Boundary Commission which is represented by a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons.
‘Polling district’ is a geographical area created by the subdivision of a Parliamentary constituency.
‘Polling place’ is the building or area in which polling stations will be provided by the (Acting) Returning Officer.
'Polling station’ is therefore the room or area within the polling place where voting takes place.
2023/24 Review Timetable
Commencement of the Review
2 October 2023
Publication of (PDF, 125KB)
2 October 2023
Publication of and Consultation begins
3 October 2023
Publication of Acting Returning Officer's (ARO) comments
By 13 October 2023
Consultation closes
5pm on 1 December 2023
Full Register Published Under Current Arrangements (End of Canvass)
1 December 2023
Publish Public Notice of Intention to Republish the Electoral Register
18 January 2024
Report on the Final Draft of the New Polling Arrangements presented to council
24 January 2024
Publish the Conclusions of the Review and Final List of Polling Districts and Stations
25 January 2024
Full Electoral Register published under new arrangements
The Elections Act 2022 has repealed the ‘Fixed Term Parliament Act’. This means that a General Election can now be called by the Prime Minister at any time during their term (A maximum of five years) at short notice. Due to this change when considering polling districts and polling places we want to ensure that venues are available at short notice and minimise the impact on electors for all elections.
Having considered both accessibility and availability of polling places, changes are proposed to the following polling districts and places:
Proposed Changes by Ward
WARD
PROPOSED CHANGES
BUSHEY NORTH
Change the polling district boundaries
Amended polling district boundaries would see electors in polling district AB voting at St. Pauls Church.
Some electors who previously voted at St Pauls Church to vote at Bushey Grove Leisure Centre. This is a larger venue and better meets accessibility requirements (electors who voted at North Bushey Baptist church are unaffected).
BUSHEY PARK
Reducing the amount of polling districts from 4 to 3
No longer use Merryhill Infant school as a polling place.
All electors who previously voted at Merryhill Infant School to vote at Bushey Library. This will give electors more stability at elections as the library is available at short notice and better meets the accessibility needs of electors.
No changes are proposed to polling places Bushey Bowling Club or Bushey Scout Hut.
BUSHEY ST JAMES
Reduce the amount of polling districts from 4 to 2
Due to Little Reddings under going development availability is uncertain. Bushey Rangers clubhouse is a larger venue and better meets accessibility requirements and available if required at short notice
ALDENHAM EAST
No longer use Newberries Primary School as a polling place.
All electors in the area to vote at The Radlett Centre.
BOREHAMWOOD COWLEY HILL
Increase the number of polling districts from 4 to 5
Introduce 2 new polling places; Borehamwood Scout Hut and Windsor Hall
Continue use of St Michaels Church Hall and The Venue
Borehamwood Boxing Club (previously Brookside Boys Club) is available but due to internal renovations is no longer suitable as a triple polling station.
BOREHAMWOOD KENILWORTH
Cease to use International Christian Fellowship as a polling place for reasons of inapt accessible provisions.
Split the ward into 2 polling districts instead of 3
Electors who currently vote at the International Christian Fellowship will be divided to vote at Holy Cross Church Hall or The Toby Carvery (dependent on new ward boundaries)
POTTERS BAR FURZEFIELD
Introduce Our Lady and St Vincent's Church Hall as a new polling place to allow electors within polling district NC to vote within their polling district boundaries (see map)
The consultation will run from 3 October until 5pm on 1 December 2023. During this time we invite comments and representations from any elector within the Hertsmere Constituency may make concerning either the existing, or proposed arrangements as to their accessibility with regard to all electors within a particular polling district.
The Council welcomes any person or organisation with particular expertise in access for persons with disabilities to comment on the Council’s proposals, or any recommendation of the Acting Returning Officer.
The link to the online survey can be found below, however paper copies are available on request by calling 020 8207 7481 or emailing psr@hertsmere.gov.uk
You are invited to submit comments and any possible suggestions on the consultation survey below;
