Polling stations slashed in Wolverhampton to cut costs

Tens of thousands of pounds will be saved by reducing the number of stations from 167 to 153.

The council's managing director Keith Ireland has also proposed moving the polling count out of the city centre and to Aldersley Leisure Village.

The local authority saves more than £20,000 per election from every polling station that goes.

• Wightwick Manor

• Methodist Church New Hall, Bushbury

• Tettenhall Wightwick

• Wednesfield North

• Fallings Park

• Graiseley[/breakout]

A report which goes before full council next week states: "Any reduction in the number of polling stations creates savings by reducing hire costs and the number of polling staff.

"The removal of 10 of the temporary polling stations has already resulted in a saving of around £22,000 per election."

A number of groups were represented of which stations were more suitable to access, including Age Concern, Wolverhampton Association of the Disabled, Arthritis Care, Wolverhampton Pensioners Convention and The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

Meanwhile the council's managing director is proposing moving the counting of votes out of the city centre.

Votes have been counted for years in the Civic Halls.

But the plan is to use Aldersley Leisure Village instead because it is more convenient for vehicles bringing ballot boxes and has more space.

Next May's elections will be both for the city's three MPs and for a third of the council's seats, with 20 out of 60 places going before the public vote.

The centre has already been used in both the Police and Crime Commissioner election in 2012 and in the post's by-election earlier this year.

Managing director Keith Ireland said: "Aldersley is a much better space for a count.

"Subject to a special advisory group and council approving it, the proposal is that we move to Aldersley.

"The Civic Hall is confined in terms of space. When we have three Parliamentary constituencies and the local elections next year we will be confined for space.

"Aldersley is bigger, much brighter and we can get 50 cars lined up at the back drive.

"The way we did it for PCC was we had people ready to take the boxes and checking them off.

"It's chaos at the Civic Hall when they drop off."