Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Nick Brown with Councillor George Jabbour attending as substitute.

Apologies were also received from Independent Persons Roy Martin and Hilary Gilbertson MBE.

The minutes of the meeting held on 6^th September were agreed and signed as an accurate record.

There were none.

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice (including the text of the question/statement) to Christine Phillipson of Democratic Services (contact details at the foot of page 1 of the agenda sheet) by midday on Wednesday 13 November 2024. Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item. Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:-

·       at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes); or

·       when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.

There were no public questions or statements.

Considered

The report of the Assistant Chief Executive, Legal and Democratic Services on the final recommendations for affected polling districts and polling places within the North Yorkshire Council area.

Local authorities are required to review their polling districts and polling places for UK parliamentary constituencies at least once every five years. Under the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013, the compulsory review periods are now:

·       The period of 16 months beginning with 1 October 2013, and

·       The period of 16 months beginning with 1 October of every fifth year after that.

The last compulsory review of all polling districts and polling places within North Yorkshire commenced in Autumn 2023 and final recommendations were agreed at Standards and Governance Committee on 13 December 2023.

A reminder of the rationale, consultation process and alternative options of the polling place review were discussed.

A verbal update was received on one pending recommendation within the report as follows:

The suggestion to use an alternative polling place for the polling districts of Harrogate Kingsley 2, which had been proposed to remain at the currently designated venue of Starbeck Methodist Church, and the Polling district of Harrogate Kingsley 1, which had been proposed to remain at the currently designated venue of Christ Church Parish Centre.   

The suggestion was that Station View sheltered housing scheme common room may be a more suitable and accessible location for voters in that area. 

Electoral services visited the proposed alternative, but at the point of publishing the report, the findings of that site visit were not available, and it was agreed to provide a verbal update at the meeting, forming part of recommendations:

Following the site visit, Electoral services deemed the alternative to be suitable, and it is therefore proposed that the final recommendation to be that the polling place for Harrogate Kingsley 1 & 2 be designated as Station View sheltered housing common room.

It was moved by Councillor Ireton and seconded by Councillor Knapton that the final recommendations for polling districts and designated polling places as shown in appendices A and D be approved by the Committee.

Resolved

That the final recommendations for polling districts and designated polling places as shown in appendices A and D be approved by the Committee.

This was agreed unanimously.

The Chair advised that an additional meeting would be called to review the Complaints Procedure, this was an agenda item deferred from the September meeting.

This meeting will be on Monday 6^th January 2025 at 2pm in the Brierley Room at County Hall in Northallerton.

The next meeting is on 14 March 2025.

The next meeting will be on Monday 6^th January 2025 at 2pm in the Brierley Room at County Hall in Northallerton.

The subsequent meeting will then be on Friday 14^th March 2025 at 10am.