Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2024

Preston City Council last undertook its review of Polling Districts and Polling Places in 2018 following a review of electoral arrangements conducted by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England published on 16 January 2018. 

The Preston (Electoral Changes) Order 2018 was made on 25 April 2018 and subsequent recommended changes were implemented on the Electoral Register for Preston published on 1 December 2020. 

A compulsory review of all polling districts and polling places must now be undertaken in line with Electoral Registration and Administration Act (2013). 

The boundaries of county council electoral divisions, parliamentary constituencies and parishes have been identified as these must be retained.

The Council has powers to change polling places and polling district boundaries, but not Parliamentary, County, Ward or Parish boundaries.

Download a full copy of the Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places. (PDF, 16 MB)

Definition of terms

A Polling District

A Polling District is the geographical sub division of an electoral ward. The Council is responsible for dividing its area into polling districts for UK Parliamentary elections and for keeping polling districts under review. 

When designating polling districts, the Council must seek to ensure that all the electors in the constituency have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances.

A Polling Place

A Polling Place is the building or area in which polling station(s) are located.

A Polling station

A Polling station is the room or area within the polling place where the process of voting takes place, and must be located in the polling place designated for the particular polling district.

The electorate figures listed for each district are taken from the Electoral Register for September 2024.

The Council must

• Seek to ensure that all the electors have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances;
• Seek to ensure that so far as is reasonable and practicable, that polling places are accessible to all electors, including those that are disabled, and when considering designation of a polling place, must have regard to the accessibility needs of disabled persons to enable them to vote independently.

Review Process

The council is required to publish notice of the holding of a review and publish details of their proposals for polling districts and polling places.

This document contains maps of the wards together with proposals (where appropriate) for polling districts and polling stations and has been sent to:

• All Preston City councillors
• Lancashire County councillors (representing Preston electoral divisions)
• Parish Clerks
• Returning Officers for Lancashire County Council and Ribble Valley Borough Council
• Members of Parliament - Preston and Ribble Valley.
• Disability Equality North West
• Disability group partners.

In addition, as part of the review process at the elections in May 2022, 2023 and 2024, an assessment form on the suitability for each of the existing polling places and to comply with the regulations of the Election Act 2022 was completed and checked by Polling Station Inspectors.

Draft Proposals

In preparing the review, officers have scrutinised areas and where necessary identified alternative polling district areas and polling places located within the new wards.

In considering the suitability of polling places the following factors have been taken into account:

• The availability of suitable premises
• Accessibility
• Public safety
• The location in relation to the centres of population within the area.

Officers have proposed (where necessary) options for revised polling districts within each ward and designated the most suitable polling place for each area. Where 'no change' from the current arrangement has been proposed, the existing polling district and / or polling place is deemed to be the most suitable in meeting the above criteria.

These are listed below.

• The review of Ashton Ward
• The review of Brookfield Ward
• The review of Cadley Ward
• The review of the City Centre Ward
• The review of the Deepdale Ward
• The review of the Fishwick and Frenchwood Ward
• The review of Garrison Ward
• The review of Greyfriars Ward
• The review of Ingol and Cottam Ward
• The review of Lea and Larches Ward
• The review of Plungington Ward
• The review of Preston Rural East Ward
• The review of Preston Rural North Ward
• The review of Ribbleton Ward
• The review of the Sharoe Green Ward
• The review of the St Matthews Ward

What happens now?

Anyone wishing to make representations on the proposals should be made in writing to the Head of Electoral Services, Town Hall, Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 2RL by no later than 4 November 2024.

Any submissions that are proposing alternative polling places/stations should provide details of alternative premises that may be used as a polling place.  These submissions will be published along with the full report at the conclusion of the review. 

Submissions must be made in writing and can be made by the following.

• Emailed to: electoralservices@preston.gov.uk
• By post to: Electoral Services, Town Hall, Lancaster Road, Preston PR1 2RL.

For further information, please contact Claire Standring, Head of Electoral Services via telephone: 01772 906115 or e-mail: c.standring@preston.gov.uk.