Members of the Committee were asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non pecuniary interests in connection with any application on the agenda and state the nature of the interest.

No such declarations were made.

The Head of Legal and Member Services and Monitoring Officer submitted a report for Members to designate St Joseph’s Parish Centre, Greenbank Road, Birkenhead CH42 7JY as the polling place for Devonshire Park Neighbourhood Area.

It was reported that the Council has a duty under the Representation of the People Act 1983 to designate polling places and that the Localism Act 2011 and accompanying regulations allowed communities to have more control over planning and development within their area.

Following public consultation, the Devonshire Park Neighbourhood Planning Forum and its corresponding neighbourhood area were designated as a neighbourhood forum which allowed the Forum to prepare and submit a Neighbourhood Development Plan to allow them to develop land-use planning proposals for their area.  The Plan would be submitted to a referendum of local electors which would be conducted in accordance with procedures similar to those used at local government elections.

The Electoral Services Manager advised that the referendum area was contained within LD polling district, however, the designated polling place for polling district LD was situated outside the referendum area boundary, therefore it was proposed that St Joseph’s Parish Centre, Greenbank Road, Birkenhead CH42 7JY be considered for use as a polling place for the forthcoming referendum due to it being situated within the referendum area.

The Electoral Services Manager informed Members that there would be less than 1,000 electors attending the polling place and, in response to questions from Members, advised that the cost of the election would be met by the development area and that the Plan put forward would be for five years should it be agreed.  The Electoral Services Manager also advised that as the regulations state that the polling place should be in the neighbourhood area and due to the disruption that would be caused, the school had not been considered as an alternative.

It was moved by Councillor S Niblock and seconded by Councillor D Mitchell that –

“St Joseph’s Parish Centre, Greenbank Road, Birkenhead CH42 7JY be determined as the designated polling place for Devonshire Park Neighbourhood Area.”

Resolved – That St Joseph’s Parish Centre, Greenbank Road, Birkenhead CH42 7JY be determined as the designated polling place for the Devonshire Park Neighbourhood Area.