Following a review of polling districts across the district, Mid Devon’s full council has agreed to implement a number of changes.

The review and public consultation has resulted in a number of changes to polling stations and places. The changes will be adopted on 1 December, 2023 in time for the latest electoral register to be published. It will also mean the changes will be in place ahead of any future general election in 2024.

By law the Council must conduct a full review of its parliamentary polling districts and places every five years to ensure each parish has a separate polling district, that there is a designated polling place for each district (unless special circumstances apply) and to ensure all polling stations are accessible. The review does not look at altering boundaries or names of electoral areas.

As part of the review the Council contacted local organisations, as well as political parties and ran a public consultation exercise.

A table of proposals were put to Full Council at a meeting on 29 November 2023 and those proposals were agreed.

Councillor Jane Lock, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Working Environment, said:

“Thank you to those who took the time to look at our proposals and made their own suggestions. With these new changes in place we will be able to provide a better, more accessible service to our electors, improving democracy at a very local level.”

The most notable changes are:

• All of Tiverton Castle Ward to vote at the Signpost Club (Tiverton Market). Some electors who previously voted at Moorhayes Community Centre and St George’s Church extension will change polling station.
• Cullompton Padbrook and Cullompton Vale voters to vote at the John Tallack Centre (behind Culm Valley Leisure Centre). Padbrook Ward electors previously voted at the Community Centre and Vale electors previously voted at The Town Hall. Parking is much better at the Leisure Centre.
• Some Tiverton Lowman Ward to vote at Tiverton Indoor Bowls Centre instead of Moorhayes. These voters were previously in a tiny polling district left over from the district boundary review. The new polling station is no further to travel.
• The part of Lowman Ward that previously voted at William Authers Hall (Adventure Playground) to vote at Moorhayes Community Centre instead, as it is a much more suitable venue and has ample parking.
• Uffculme voters to vote at Magelake instead of the Village Hall, due to complaints about damage to properties from cars manoeuvring around the polling station and lack of parking at the Village Hall.

Full details can also be read online on the dedicated webpage.