The Governance and Business Committee convened to discuss revisions to the Petitions Scheme and polling arrangements, and to review recent elections. The committee agreed to form a working party to review the Petitions Scheme, and recommended amendments to the Polling Plan to Calderdale Council. They also noted a report on polls held since October 2024 and scheduled elections in May 2026.

Review of Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations

The committee recommended to Council that revisions and amendments, as detailed in Appendix 3 of the Review of Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations New Warding Arrangements report, be approved and that the existing Polling Plan be amended to incorporate these changes.

The review was prompted by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England's (LGBCE) Electoral Review of Calderdale, which split the borough into 18 wards. The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 requires local authorities to review their polling districts and polling places for UK Parliamentary constituencies at least once every five years.

The report outlined the steps taken to review polling districts, places, and stations, noting that the last review occurred in 2023. The review aimed to apply to all polls in Calderdale.

Key terms were defined in the report:

• UK Parliamentary constituencies: Areas with separate representation in the House of Commons.
• Polling district: A geographical area created by sub-dividing a UK Parliamentary Constituency for elections.
• Polling place: A building or area where polling stations are selected.
• Polling station: A room or area within a polling place where voting occurs.

The proposed polling district boundaries for each of the new 18 wards were published on the council's website, and comments were invited. The (Acting) Returning Officer provided comments on the number of polling stations required and the allocation of electors.

Changes related to Hebden Royd and Stainland & District Parish Councils will be addressed in 2026 and reported to the committee, coming into effect in 2027.

The Notice of Review of Poling districts places and stations was published on 31 March 2025, inviting representations by 11 June 2025. Details of current polling station locations, interactive spreadsheets of addresses, and a link to the council's interactive map were made available on the council's website.

The Responses to the consultation included a request that Woodhouse Primary School no longer be used as a polling station to avoid disruption to children's learning. The polling station was changed to St John's Church Hall, St John Street, Rastrick.

The (Acting) Returning Officer's recommendations for amendments to electoral arrangements were published on 15 May 2025.

Following discussions, members thanked Electoral Services for their work on the comprehensive report.

Review of Petitions Scheme

The committee agreed to form a Governance and Business Petitions Working Party to consider the Petitions Scheme, and appointed Councillors Bellenger, Blagbrough, and T Swift MBE to the working party.

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services submitted a report seeking consideration of amendments to the Petitions Scheme, primarily to provide clarity on electronic petitions (e-petitions) and improve the process for validating signatures.

Calderdale's Petitions Scheme was adopted on 18 February 2015. The increased use of e-petitions has highlighted the need for updates, as e-petitions reach a wider audience but require fewer details from signatories, making signature validation more difficult.

Officers collected data from Calderdale's closest geographical and statistical neighbours, which showed that they host e-petitions internally, giving them more control over the information collected and reducing the likelihood of signatures from people without a valid interest in Calderdale.

The report noted that while the Petitions Scheme states that a petition organiser or signatory must live, work, or study in Calderdale, it does not currently require that the relevant address be the one provided, impacting officers' ability to validate signatures.

The Petitions Scheme Data collected from Calderdale's nearest statistical neighbours showed that many offer the option to call a senior council officer to account upon meeting a minimum number of signatures, but do not offer the option to have a petition discussed at a scrutiny meeting.

Members felt that a deeper review was needed to ensure the Petitions Scheme was working to the benefit of Calderdale's residents, officers, and members.

Review of Polls Held Since October 2024 and Scheduled Elections May 2026

The committee noted the Review of Polls Held Since October 2024 and Scheduled Elections May 2026 report.

The report provided an overview of the polls successfully administered since October 2024:

• 24 October 2024 – Calder Ward by-election
• 14 November 2024 – Township of Todmorden – Stansfield Ward by-election
• 6 February 2025 – Township of Hebden Royd – White Lee Ward by-election
• 6 February 2025 – Township of Todmorden – Walsden Ward by-election
• 6 March 2025 – Todmorden Neighbourhood Planning Referendum
• 8 May 2025 – Skircoat Ward by-election

The next scheduled polls are on Thursday 7 May 2026, which will be 'all-out' on the new 18 wards of Calderdale.

The report included information on preparation, polling stations, staffing, poll cards, the election period, absent voting, voter ID¹, the verification and count, workload and collaboration, feedback, and upcoming projects and challenges.

Members discussed the importance of communicating with residents about casting up-to-3 votes and re-registering for postal votes. They were advised that using Huddersfield Leisure Centre for the count would save money compared to using a marquee on Mulcture Hall Road.

The report noted that the UK Government has launched its new electoral strategy and review Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections.

Other Matters Discussed

• Minutes from Previous Meetings: The minutes of the Governance and Business Committee meeting held on 23 June 2025, and the Civic Advisory Group held on 14 July 2025 were approved and noted respectively.