Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations Review 2023

Why are we reviewing our Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations?

Councils are required by law to review their Polling Districts and Polling Places every five years.

As the last review in Darlington was completed in 2018, a review is now due, and will take place in advance of the Election for a Police and Crime Commissioner for the Durham Constabulary Area, and the Tees Valley Combined Authority Mayoral Election, on Thursday, 2nd May 2024.  

What are Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations?

Polling Districts are the geographical areas into which Council Wards are divided.

Polling Places are the locations or buildings in which Polling Stations are situated. When deciding which buildings to use as Polling Places, the Council strives to ensure that they are located as conveniently as possible within the Polling District, and that they are accessible to everyone, particularly anyone who is disabled.

A Polling Station is the room or area within the Polling Place where voting takes place.

How long will the review take?

The review is scheduled to last 14 weeks, and commenced on Monday, 2nd October 2023.

From Monday, 2 October 2023 until Sunday, 12th November 2023, we will be inviting views on our existing Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations. We will be consulting community groups, organisations, head teachers, elected representatives, and encouraging any person or body with expertise in access for people with any type of disability to contribute. We will also be encouraging anyone entitled to vote in Darlington to make representations, and to advise us of any issues with current Polling Stations, and provide suggestions for alternative venues. The Notice of Review of Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations was published on Monday, 2 October 2023. 

Between Monday, 13th November 2023 and Sunday, 26th November 2023, we will reflect on the submissions received from consultees, together with our own evidential working and the views of the Returning Officers.

A further consultation period on our final draft proposals will then take place between Monday, 27th November 2023 and Sunday, 7th January 2024.

Between Monday, 8 January 2024 and Tuesday, 16 January 2024 we will review all contributions, and prepare our finalised proposals for submission to Council on Thursday, 25th January 2024.

As part of the review process we will remain mindful of the proposals contained within the Parliamentary Boundary Review, and make recommendations should the new Parliamentary boundary proposals be brought forward.  

Existing Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations

Following the close of the first consultation phase on Sunday, 12th November 2023, Officers have reviewed and reflected on the submissions received, together with our own evidential working and the views of the Returning Officer, to formulate our final draft proposals for further consultation. Any representations or comments on the below proposals should be submitted no later than Sunday, 7th January 2024.

Proposed Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations

Proposed Changes

• Polling District BFA (S) will become part of the Darlington County Constituency upon implementation of the Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in England 2023 (the Polling District currently sits in the Sedgefield Parliamentary Constituency). We are therefore proposing that Polling Districts BFA(S) and BFA(D) be renamed Polling District BFA and BFB respectively. Consequently, Polling District BFB will become Polling District BFC, and Polling District BFC will become Polling District BFD.
  
  
• Our proposals confirm previous changes implemented at the Interim Review undertaken in 2022 - namely that Cockerton Library be used in Polling District CKA (as opposed to Holy Family RC Primary School); that the Sports Pavilion at Abbey Road Sports Field be used in place of the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in College Ward; that Polling Districts SMA and SMC now go to Bishopton Village Hall due to closure of Great Stainton Church Hall; and that the Middleton St. George Community Centre replace the Middleton St. George Women's Institute Hall in Polling Districts SMI and SMJ.
• Unfortunately, St. Mary's Church in Piercebridge has proved challenging over the course of the last review period. It is an old building and does not contain the facilities we would expect of a modern day Polling Place. Our proposal, therefore, is to ask the electorate of Polling District HCG to now vote at St. Edwin's Church in High Coniscliffe.
  
  
• We are proposing a small amendment to the Northern boundary between Polling Districts HUA and HUB in the Hurworth Ward. The Northern boundary between the Polling Districts currently follows Snipe Lane, to the right of Blackwell Moor Farm and Snipe Meadows, up to the A66. Our proposal is to move the boundary further west to follow the railway line, which would result in Blackwell Moor Farm, Snipe Meadows and a few other properties, together with the development comprising of Gill Beck Lane, Ash Brook Lane, Elder Brook Avenue and Buckthorn Court, moving from Polling District HUA to Polling District HUB. This would have no impact on the number of voters across the Ward, however would mean a change in Polling Station for a small number of voters.
  
  
• Polling District PEE will become part of the Darlington County Constituency upon implementation of the Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in England 2023 (the Polling District currently sits in the Sedgefield Parliamentary Constituency). As there will now be no chance of cross-pollination of Ballot Papers across constituencies, we are therefore proposing that the electorate of Polling District PEE now vote at The Coleridge Centre alongside electors from Polling District PED. Over recent years the Polling Station at the Skerne Park Youth and Community Centre (where electors for Polling District PEE voted) was subjected to anti-social behaviour and this provides to opportunity to bring all electors in the area under one roof.
   
• As the electorate of Polling Districts SME, SMG and SMH will be voting in the newly-created Stockton West County Constituency upon implementation of the Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in England 2023, we are proposing to move them from St. Anne's Church Hall in Welbeck Avenue, Darlington (where Darlington electors vote) to Sadberge Village Hall, alongside the electorate of Polling Districts SMD and SMF, who will also be voting in the new Stockton West County Constituency.