Agenda and minutes

It was advised that there were no substitute members present.

To agree the notes of the last Panel meeting held on 18 March 2014 (attached).

RESOLVED:

That the notes of the last meeting of the Panel held on 18 March 2014 be agreed.

There were no declarations of interest made pursuant to the Member’s Code of Conduct.

(a)          Terms of Reference

The following Terms of Reference were noted.

(b)          Work Programme

The following was noted:

(i)           Item 3 Joint Consultative Committee – Terms of Reference and Constitution regarding representation of non-union staff

The Panel was advised that the last Joint Consultative Committee had recommended no proposals for changing the current arrangements for representations.

(ii)          Item 4 Constitution Review Initial Scoping Report

Although a scoping report was being submitted to the September Panel meeting, Members suggested that a panel sub-group should be planned to deal with certain aspects of the review.

(Returning Officer) To consider the attached report.

The Panel received a report from the Returning Officer regarding the Local Elections on 22 May 2014.

The following elections were held on 22 May 2014:

(a)  Election of 7 Members of the European Parliament for the Eastern Region of the UK;

(b)  19 District Council Wards; and

(c)  1 Parish Council by-election for Buckhurst Hill West.

Voter turnout at the various lections ranged between 44% in the Buckhurst Hill East Ward and 28% in Waltham Abbey Paternoster Ward. Turnout for the European Parliamentary Election, within the district, was 35.58%, compared with a turnout of 35.90% across the region.

It was noted that there were few issues with the election, generally all practices were completed successfully. Members were advised of the following:

(i)    A total of 8,309 postal votes were issued, only 8 packs failed to reach electors and were re-issued;

(ii)   73% of postal votes were returned, which equated well with previous elections;

(iii)  One nomination paper delivered on 24 April 2014 did not have the necessary consent to include a political party logo on the ballot paper. The agent had insufficient time to rectify this error, before the submission deadline;

(iv)  Project planning and a Risk Register for the elections were prepared in December 2013 and reviewed regularly;

(v)   There were 80 polling stations in 64 buildings with 72 presiding officers and 125 poll clerks;

(vi)  All of the polling stations were opened on time, however at Murray Hall, Loughton, with two polling stations, there was some confusion for voters. Consideration would be given to improving directions for electors when using such buildings;

(vii) A complaint received about a candidate for Nazeing was referred to the police. The Returning Officer received some complaints about imprints on election literature which were also passed on;

(viii)                The issue of postal votes went smoothly. Initially problems were experienced with software and scanners used for checking personal identifiers, but this was resolved remotely. 196 postal votes were rejected for various reasons, over 60 of which did not contain a ballot paper or postal voting statement. It was advised that new legislation required the Electoral Registration Officer to inform electors, after a poll, that their postal vote identifiers had been rejected;

(ix)  No in-house printing problems were experienced, however the logo for one group was not reproduced as agreed following the 2013 elections. A proof had currently been accepted with this group’s agent before the forthcoming election. As per usual, manual checks were undertaken on each printed ballot paper;

(x)   The verification and counting of ballot papers took place at Theydon Bois Village Hall on 23 and 25 may. The count went smoothly; and

(xi)          Police liaison was adequate during the whole process.

Members thanked officers for their work on a well run election and count.

Members were concerned about potential difficulties in the forthcoming May 2015 General, District and parish elections, where verification would be carried out at the same time. It was acknowledged that more counters would be needed, but members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

(Returning Officer) To consider the attached report and appendices.

The Panel received a report from the Returning Officer regarding Review of Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations.

The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 made it compulsory for this authority to carry out a review of Parliamentary polling districts and polling places within 16 months, starting from 1 October 2013, with further reviews starting on 1 October of every fifth subsequent year. It was necessary for the Council to consider polling districts and places in the Epping Forest Parliamentary constituency and those parts of the Brentwood and Ongar and Harlow situated within the district.

A polling district was a geographical area created by the sub division of a UK Parliamentary Constituency for the purposes of an election. A polling place was the building or area in which polling stations would be selected by the Returning Officer. A polling station was the room or area within the polling place where voting took place.

Notice of a review together with details of the existing polling districts, polling places and polling stations were given on 24 March 2014. Copies were made available at the Civic Offices, local libraries, and details published on the Council’s website. Consultation took place via the Council Bulletin, with details sent to the three local MPs, Eastern Region European Union Members, Parish and Town Councils, local County Councillors, political party agents, Returning Officers for the three District Parliamentary Constituencies and those with specific experience of assessing disabled access.

The consultation period ran from 24 March to 30 May 2014.

Results of the Consultation Exercise

Epping Town Council requested that Homefield Close, Epping was split between two polling districts with electors occupying numbers 1-6 voting in one place and those at 7-19 voting elsewhere. It was recommended that house numbers 7-19 be transferred to the United Reformed Church.

The Returning Officer for the Epping Forest Constituency highlighted the following:

(a)  Parking difficulties at Allnutts Institute, Epping polling station could not be resolved as there was no suitable alternative within the polling place. However recently the District Council had funded works at the Institute for making the entrance safer and more user friendly.

(b)  The Returning Officer had purchased a portable ramp for Hastingwood Village Hall polling station to facilitate easier access for wheelchair users.

(c)  The community governance review, in 2012, for matching Green Village had changed the boundaries for parish, district and county council elections but there had been no opportunity for changing the Parliamentary constituency boundaries. As a result the parliamentary election in 2015 would involve some voters in Brentwood and Ongar using a polling station in Harlow. Although not ideal, the situation could be managed with careful publicity stressing that there would be two polling stations at Matching Village Hall.

No representations were received from the public in respect of the Returning Officer’s representations and none were received by the Returning Officers for the Brentwood and Ongar and Harlow constituencies. The following comments and views were received:

(i)    District Councillor G Chambers requested a different  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider which reports are ready to be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting.

The following two reports would be submitted to the forthcoming Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

(a)  Local Elections 22 May 2014; and

(b)  Review of Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations

The programmed meeting of the Panel will be held at 7.00p.m. in Committee Room 1 on Tuesday 23 September 2014 and then on:

(a)  Tuesday 18 November;

(b)  Tuesday 13 January 2015; and

(c)  Tuesday 17 March, 7.00p.m.

The next meeting of the Panel would be held on Tuesday 23 September 2014 at 7.00p.m. in Committee Room 1.