Interim review of polling districts and polling places
Following the compulsory review of the polling districts and polling places within Gloucester last year, the Council must now undertake an interim review to implement the changes to the boundaries of the Gloucester divisions of Gloucestershire County Council resulting from a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
The changes must be implemented in time for the scheduled Gloucestershire County Council elections in May 2025. As the new Gloucestershire County Council division boundaries are awaiting approval by Parliament, the review is based on the proposed boundaries, which the Council understands are unlikely to change at this stage in the process.
A review is designed to see if the polling districts and polling places in Gloucester suit the needs of voters, and generally includes:
- polling district boundaries within each ward in the borough
- location of the polling places and stations in each polling district
- access to each polling station
However, as this review is specifically to consider the impact of the changes to the Gloucestershire County Council divisions, the proposals focus on the areas where changes are required or desirable and aim to give effect to those changes with as little impact on voters as possible.
As part of the review we:
- welcome your views on existing polling arrangements, and suggestions for alternatives.
- welcome your views, particularly if you're a disabled resident, as we seek to ensure that polling places are accessible to those who are disabled. We also welcome comments from those with expertise in access for persons with disabilities.
As with a compulsory review, the aim of the interim review is to make sure:
- electors have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances.
- as far as is reasonable and practicable, polling places are accessible to all electors, and consider the needs of disabled persons.
The timetable for the review and proposed recommendations for polling districts and polling places are set out below.
| 27 September 2024 | Publication of Notice of Review and commencement of public consultation |
| By 4 October 2024 | Publication of ARO’s submission |
| 18 October 2024 | Public consultation ends |
| Date to be confirmed | General Purposes Committee consider proposals and make recommendations to Council |
| 21 November 2024 | Council to consider and approve final proposals |
Acting returning officer draft comments
View the draft comments made by the acting returning officer.