1. Background
Local authorities are required to review their polling districts and polling places every five years under section 18C of the Representation of the People Act 1983. Each authority may choose the exact dates and length of their review; however, it must fall within a specified window. The last full review was completed in February 2020.
At the meeting of Full Council on 21 September 2022 it was agreed to undertake a further review of polling districts and polling places in Areley Kings & Riverside and Blakebrook & Habberley South.
2. Timetable
The review for Wyre Forest District Council started on 14 October 2022. The consultation period ran until 5pm on 11 November 2022. The final report will be considered at the full Council meeting on the proposed date of 7 December 2022 and if agreed will come into effect from 1January 2023.
3. Statutory Notice
The Statutory Notice can be viewed on our polling place review statutory notice page.
4. Definition of terms
The definitions of the terms for the items being reviewed are:
- A 'polling district' is a geographical subdivision of an electoral area such as a district ward within which a polling place is designate.
- A 'polling place' is defined as the building or area in which a polling station resides.
- A 'polling station' is the room or area within a polling place where voting takes place. Unlike polling districts and polling places which are fixed by the local authority, polling stations are chosen by the (Acting) Returning Officer.
5. The Review
The review requires the council to:
- Seek to ensure that all the electors in the wards of Blakebrook & Habberley South and Areley Kings & Riverside wards have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances.
- 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 the accessibility needs of disabled persons.
- Seek to ensure that polling places are within their polling district unless special circumstances make it desirable to designate an area outside the polling district.
The (Acting) Returning Officer is required to decide how many polling stations are needed for each polling place and to allocate electors to the polling stations in such a manner he thinks most convenient.
The following is not considered as part of the review:
- 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;
or
- The changing of polling districts in areas which are also aligned with parish boundaries and therefore cannot be amended during this review (these can only be amended during a Community Governance Review).
The Council is keen to receive representations from any interested individual, group or organisation, particularly those with expertise in access for persons with any type of disability, on alterations to current electoral arrangements. Representations should, wherever possible, include suggested alternative premises which may be used for polling purposes. Any elector within the authority or within the Wyre Forest parliamentary constituency may make a representation.
6. Current arrangements
Polling District | Minimum metres travelled (as the crow flies) |
Maximum metres travelled (as the crow flies) |
Polling Station |
---|---|---|---|
BHS-4 | 1056 | 1560 | Gainsborough House Hotel |
BHS-5 | 63 | 1208 | Gainsborough House Hotel |
AKR-SC | 49 | 1364 | Stourport Workmen's Club |
Street listing by polling district
BHS-4 - Blakebrook & Habberley South 4 - Kidderminster - St Marys
Arch Hill
Blackwell Street
Bromsgrove Street
Bull Ring
Castle Road
Church Street
Coventry Street
Freda Eddy Court
Green Street
High Street
Lion Square
Lion Street
Lower Mill Street
Marlborough Street
New Road
Orchard Street
Oxford Street
Prospect Hill
Vicar Street
Waterloo Street
Worcester Street
BHS-5 - Blakebrook & Habberley South 5 - Kidderminster - St Johns
Bennett Street
Bentons Court
Bewdley Grange
Bewdley Hill
Bewdley Road
Blakebrook
Blakebrook Close
Blakebrook Gardens
Brook Street
Broomfield Road
Burghley Drive
Canterbury Road
Cathedral Avenue
Cedar Crescent
Cedar Drive
Church Walk
Clares Court
Coley Close
Crane Street
Crestwood Avenue
Grammar Close
Guildford Close
Habberley Road
Habberley Street
Hereford Close
Highlands Close
Hill Close
Holmwood Avenue
Jelleyman Close
King Charles Close
Kings Road
Lea Wood Grove
Lower Mill Street
Mason Road
Meadow Hill Close
Mill Lane
Mill Street
Millers Court
Moule Close
Oakden Place
Parkland Avenue
Paternoster Row
Pershore Road
Pineridge Drive
Purcell House
Renfrew Gardens
Rowland Hill Avenue
Ruth Chamberlain Court
Salisbury Drive
Selba Drive
Selsdon Close
Shrewsbury Road
Steve Roberts Court
St Johns Avenue
St Johns Close
St Johns Street
Summer Place
Summerhill Avenue
The Lea
The Patios
Tintern Close
Truro Drive
Welbeck Drive
Western Way
Westminster Road
Westville Avenue
Whitburn Close
Woodfield Street
AKR-SC - Areley Kings & Riverside - S Central - Stourport
Almond Way
Ash Grove
Aspen Walk
Beverley Court
Bilberry Close
Birchfield Drive
Briar Way
Bridge Street
Broomy Close
Cedar Rise
Coopers Lane
Cranberry Drive
Dewberry Close
Elderberry Close
Elmfield Walk
Engine Lane
Field End
Galahad Way
Gheluvelt Court
Hafren Way
High Street
Larch Way
Lichfield Street
Lickhill Manor Caravan Park
Lickhill Meadow
Lickhill Road
Lilac Grove
Lime Tree Walk
Lion Hill
Lodge Cottages
Lodge Road
Lower Lickhill Road
Maple Close
Mart Lane
Mayberry Close
Mitton Street
Moffit Way
Moorhall Drive
Moorhall Lane
New Street
Parkes Passage
Parkes Quay
Pine Walk
Raven Street
Ribbesford Drive
Rosedene
Rowanberry Close
Severn Mews
Severn Road
Severn Side
Sion Gardens
Snowberry Close
Stagborough Way
Waterfront View
Waters Edge
William Bullock Close
7. Wyre Forest District Council's proposed arrangements
Wyre Forest District Council is proposing to alter the polling place for the polling districts BHS-4, BHS-5 and AKR-SC
Electors for the polling Districts BHS-4 and BHS-5 currently vote at the Gainsborough House Hotel. Electors AKR-SC currently vote at Stourport Workmen's Club.
Blakebrook & Habberley South BHS-4 and BHS-5
BHS- 5 (Habberley Estate) options
The consultation questionnaire will propose that electors in BHS-5 would vote at Habberley Social Club instead of the Gainsborough House Hotel.
Polling District | Minimum metres travelled (as the crow flies) |
Maximum metres travelled (as the crow flies) |
Polling Place |
---|---|---|---|
BHS-5 | 51 | 1940 | Habberley Social Club |
Alternative proposals
Within the consultation questionnaire views will be sought on alternative polling places for BHS-5 (Habberley estate) of which one option is the scout hut on Habberley playing fields. An opportunity to suggest other alternatives will be available in the consultation questionnaire.
Polling District | Minimum metres travelled (as the crow flies) |
Maximum metres travelled (as the crow flies) |
Polling Place |
---|---|---|---|
BHS-5 | 71 | 1165 | Habberley Scout Hut |
BHS-4 (Town Centre) to Trinity Methodist Church or Habberley Social Club
The consultation questionnaire will seek views on two options for electors in the town centre (BHS4) and will also give the opportunity to suggest other alternatives.
Polling District | Minimum metres travelled (as the crow flies) |
Maximum metres travelled (as the crow flies) |
Polling Place |
---|---|---|---|
BHS-4 | 80 | 1189 | Trinity Methodist Church |
BHS-4 | 1906 | 2325 | Habberley Social Club |
There are other buildings that could be used as polling places, including schools that are located in the ward, although the Council prefers to avoid designating schools if possible, in order to avoid any disruption to education if a governing body chooses to close a school even though a polling place might use only one room in a building. If you wish to suggest an alternative location or locations that should be designated as polling places for BHS4 and BHS5, you are welcome to do so. Please remember that buildings need to be accessible to disabled people. Given the low number of electors in BHS4 (316 electors), the Council is not likely to be recommended to approve creation of a separate polling place that would be used solely for that polling district: that would result in additional costs that would represent poor value for money.
Areley Kings & Riverside AKR-SC
Two potential locations for a polling place have been identified for this polling district. Views are invited on which of them should be chosen. The Stourport Bowling Green Club is located in the district and is adjacent to the existing polling place. The Stourport Community Centre in Lickhill Park is separated by Lickhill Road from the polling district but is believed to be closer to the majority of electors in the district than the other potential location. The table sets out the distances that electors would travel to the two potential locations.
Polling District | Polling Place | Minimum metres travelled (as the crow flies) |
Maximum metres travelled (as the crow flies) |
---|---|---|---|
AKR-SC | Stourport Bowling Green Club | 48 | 1372 |
AKR-SC | Stourport Community Centre | 52 | 1376 |
8. Polling Districts, Places and Stations information
Information on the current Polling Districts, Places and Stations including their electorate can be found on our 'Where to Vote' web page.
View map of the existing Polling Districts and Polling Places.
9. How to respond
Surveys are now closed.
The surveys ran until Friday 11 November 2022.
Please note that as part of the review, all submissions, relevant correspondence and (Acting) Returning Officer comments will be made available for public inspection and be published in the final report and considered at full council on 7 December 2022. Personal data (such as your full address or email address) would not be published in the report to council and would be redacted (withheld).
10. Outcome
Any changes approved by Council on 7 December 2022 will be incorporated into the electoral register in 1 January 2023 and will take effect at any election after that date.