Appendix 2: Responses to the Partial Review of Brighton & Hove Polling Districts and Places Consultation Paper and (Acting) Returning Officer Comment

Responder comments	Ward	RO reply
Good to move it so the help desk can remain open	Central Hove	No reply necessary
I'm in Clarke Ave and wont vote if I have to go to Hounsom.  I don't believe church halls or schools should be used. The use of school means closure of a school which during term time is unacceptable as it affects a child's education, and parents are not allowed to take them out during school term = doible standards.  I'm against use of churches or church halls due to religious grounds - no believer of any religion.  Should stick to using Blatchington Windmill.	Hangleton & Knoll	Hounsom Memorial Church Hall is situated in the centre of this polling district and continues to serve its voters well, being located next to amenities of the local area. Churches and church halls are a key type of venue that support the Brighton & Hove polling station scheme. If these buildings are not utilised, then available polling venues would be severely limited andelectors would likely need to travel significantly further to vote. The design principles of this review agree that schools should be avoided where possible, and no additional schools are proposed to be used in this review. Blatchington Windmill was removed from the scheme as part of the 2022 review due to its unfavourable location on the periphery of the ward. Postal voting is an option available to all electors who prefer not to vote in person.
good that accessibility is being considered -  so like this one too	Hangleton & Knoll	No reply necessary
For KKTX - the polling station is not in the district or even the ward. It's some distance from the southern part of the district and requires crossing at least one main road (Eastern Rd). All efforts should be made to find an alternative site within the ward	Kemptown	The Returning Officer and their staff have researched venues across the area but are limited by the location of available venues. No suitable alternatives have been identified for this polling district. We have previously used T.S.Nautilus on Chesham Road as a temporary contingency, however the step-free access for this venue is too unsuitable for it to be considered as a permanent polling place for the district. We are happy to look at suggestions for alternate polling places when proposed.
sceptical of "double polling places" but understand that saves costs	Kemptown	The use of double polling stations is standard practice across the country, supporting Returning Officers’ safe and efficient administration and delivery of elections. They also enable polling places to benefit from a higher proportion of senior staff who can resolve issues.
We are concerned that the proposal to replace The Spire with The Manor Gym as the polling station for Bristol Estate fails to consider the steep geography of the estate. Bristol Estate is located on what is locally recognised as the steepest hill in Brighton, which creates a serious barrier for many residents, particularly older people and those with mobility issues. The area has some of the highest levels of deprivation in the city, ranking within the top 3% most deprived nationally on the Index of Multiple Deprivation. It also has a higher proportion of residents with health and mobility needs, as reflected in Brighton and Hove’s above-average spending on adult social care compared with neighbouring authorities. These factors make accessibility a critical consideration when deciding polling locations. Asking residents to travel down and back up this steep hill to reach The Manor Gym will deter participation and risks denying people effective access to the ballot box. To ensure fairness and inclusion, we propose that in addition to The Manor Gym, a second polling station is placed at the BELTA Community Centre, located within the estate itself. This would provide a practical and accessible option for those who would otherwise struggle, ensuring that Bristol Estate residents are not disadvantaged in exercising their democratic right.	Kemptown	The Spire does not serve as a polling station for the Bristol Estate. In the current scheme, The Spire only serves polling district KKTX, in Kemptown ward, which is predominantly to the south of Eastern Road. There are no proposed changes to the polling place for electors living on the Bristol Estate, who have been voting at the Manor Gym since 2023. The Bristol Estate Community Centre was removed from the scheme as part of the council’s comprehensive review of polling places in 2022. This change was agreed in line with the design principles of that review, which are still in place for this partial review in 2025. These principles must be applied fairly and consistently across the city to avoid favouring any particular area. The principles include aiming for polling stations to serve between 1,250 and 1,750 electors to ensure that polling stations are not too busy or too quiet and that staffing resources are best utilised. The number of electors in the Bristol Estate is significantly below this threshold. This proposal is also consistent with the principle of having a high proportion of double polling stations, which has considerable operational advantages, allowing polling stations to benefit from a higher number of senior staff to resolve queries which have become more complex since the introduction of Voter ID with the Elections Act 2022. We are mindful of topography and accessibility when designing the scheme. We note that the Manor Gym, which is situated on the eastern part of the estate, is served by the number 37 bus, as well as having full level access and resident parking bays. Postal and proxy voting options are also available for all electors.
absolutely fine	Kemptown	No reply necessary
absolutely fine	Whitehawk & Marina	No reply necessary
Within the same context as Bristol Estate, North Whitehawk contains several high rise blocks up a steep hill. Whilst the bottom of Whitehawk is served by Robert Lodge well, North requires an additional spot. We would propose that the Kingfisher Community Room be used as a polling station.	Whitehawk & Marina	The review does not propose a change to the polling place for the most northerly part of Whitehawk. The proposed changes in Whitehawk & Marina relate to the current KWMY polling district which would merge into its three neighbouring polling districts, including KWMZ, which will continue to be served by St Cuthman’s. St Cuthman’s is in a prime central location for this polling district, with its own bus stop on Whitehawk’s main through road. Kingfisher Community Room sits at the periphery of the polling district, and its use would result in a longer journey for the average elector in the district One purpose of this partial review is to identify where polling places may cease to be available in the future, and seek alternatives ahead of time in these circumstances. In July 2025 Cabinet agreed in principle that the preferred regeneration outcome for the area included the demolition of Kingfisher Court. It would therefore go against the principle of this review to include it in a reliable scheme of polling places.
A much more coherent arrangement. Lots of confusion over the library as it was so close to the Holy cross church people were getting mixed up. fully approve of this.	Woodingdean	No reply necessary
Seems to be a sensible proposal	Woodingdean	No reply necessary
The proposals seem sensible	Woodingdean	No reply necessary
This seems better than existing but pubic transport for voters in east part of KWOX do not easily access polling station.	Woodingdean	It is important to avoid confusion by regularly changing polling district boundaries so that electors can, insofar as is possible, have a consistent voting location. Boundaries for KWOX were decided following public consultation as part of our review of polling places in 2023. Feedback from key stakeholders at this time led to a decision to move the polling district boundary between KWOX and KWOW eastwards. Additional electors were therefore included in KWOX to vote at Woodingdean Methodist Church, rather than their previous arrangement which had included them in KWOW, voting at St Patrick’s Church. It is therefore not proposed to revert to the previous polling district boundary between KWOX and KWOW.
Seems OK, as someone who currently lives in kwoy	Woodingdean	No reply necessary