The Governance Committee of Solihull Council is scheduled to meet on 24 September 2025 to discuss a review of polling districts and places, and to consider the calendar of meetings for 2026-2027.

Polling District and Polling Place Review

The committee will be asked to consider a report on the review of polling districts and polling places within the borough. The review was required because the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has concluded its electoral review of the Solihull Borough ward boundaries. The report recommends that the full council approves a revised polling district and polling places scheme.

The report sets out that electors and stakeholders were invited to comment on the designation of polling districts or places, including:

• The (Acting) Returning Officers for Solihull West and Shirley, Meriden and Solihull East and Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
• Members of Parliament for Solihull West and Shirley, Meriden and Solihull East and Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
• All Solihull Borough Councillors
• Town and Parish Councils within Solihull Borough
• Registered Political Parties and Election Agents
• Residents' Associations/Groups
• Disability groups

The report also notes that the Acting Returning Officers (ARO) published their proposals on 2 June 2025, suggesting changes to some polling places and polling district boundaries, with the focus on causing minimum disruption to voters and only making changes if they are necessary.

The report lists a number of proposed changes to polling districts and places, including:

• Ensuring the new polling districts align with the new borough ward arrangements that have been set by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE).
• Ensuring that the new parish ward arrangements set by the LGBCE have been implemented and that each parish ward is its own polling district. New parish ward arrangements are in place for Bickenhill and Marston Green Parish Council, Kingshurst Parish Council and Smith's Wood Parish Council.
• A new polling district for residents in Blythe Valley, ensuring that voters in Blythe Valley can have a polling place closer to home.
• The Olton Project replaces Kineton Green Primary School as a polling place in Olton.
• Shirley Heath Junior School replaces Blossomfield School as a polling place in Shirley South.
• A new polling place in Shirley South, The Layca Centre, to balance the additional electors added to Shirley South ward.
• Two small polling districts added to Silhill ward (SH06 and SH07) to ensure the new ward boundary for Silhill matches the Parliamentary boundary between Meriden and Solihull East, and Solihull West and Shirley.
• Polling district prefixes created for the following wards: Balsall and Berkswell (BB), Fordbridge (FB), Kingshurst and Smith's Wood (KS) and Meriden and Arden (MA).

The report also includes summaries of the responses received during the initial and second phases of consultation.

Calendar of Meetings 2026 to 2027

The committee will be asked to consider the Calendar of Meetings for 2026 to 2027. The draft calendar is based on the council's current governance arrangements, but it is acknowledged that this may change following the all-out Borough election in May 2026. The report states that:

To wait until after the election to create a calendar could adversely affect the Councils ability to make decisions early in the next municipal year.

The committee is invited to comment on the calendar so that their views can be incorporated into the final version being submitted to Full Council on 7 October 2025 for approval.