The General Purposes Committee convened to discuss and approve changes to polling places across the borough, aiming to improve accessibility and voter convenience for the upcoming 2026 local elections. The committee also reviewed the minutes from previous meetings.

Polling Place Review

The committee reviewed and approved changes to polling places across 16 wards to improve accessibility and voter convenience. The changes are detailed in the Polling Place Review Report - 2025.pdf.

The review, conducted in accordance with the Representation of the People Act 1983 and the Electoral Administration Act 2006, aimed to ensure that all polling places and stations in Redbridge are accessible, suitable, and fit for purpose ahead of the 2026 local elections.

The council conducted a public consultation from 29 July 2024 to 23 September 2024, communicating directly with existing polling places, councillors, MPs, and community groups, receiving a total of eighteen responses. Feedback was also gathered from presiding officers and polling station inspectors from the 2024 Greater London Authority Elections, the UK Parliamentary General Election, and three by-elections held in 2024 and 2025.

The aims of the review were to ensure that:

• Polling places are accessible to all electors, including those with disabilities.
• Polling places fall within the polling district, wherever possible.
• Premises are suitable, considering size and facilities.
• Feedback from electors and polling staff is addressed.

The report noted that a previous Polling District and Polling Place Review in December 2024 had reviewed and amended polling district boundaries, but polling stations were not included at that time.

The recommendations included changes to 30 polling places to be used in the upcoming Local Elections in May 2026. Some of these are existing polling places being reassigned to different polling districts due to recent ward boundary changes, and the proposal also includes new polling places to accommodate the two newly created polling districts established earlier in the year.

Specific changes were recommended for the following wards:

• Barkingside Ward: Gants Hill Library is recommended as an alternative to St Augustine's Catholic Primary School.
• Bridge Ward: St Pauls Church Hall and St Barnabas Church, Snakes Lane East are recommended as alternatives to Roding Primary School and Ray Lodge Primary School respectively. Virgin Active Gym within the Repton Park community is recommended to replace the minibus currently used.
• Churchfields Ward: Bridge Church, Latchett Road and Redbridge Drama Centre, Churchfields are recommended as alternatives to Woodbridge High School and Churchfields Junior School respectively. Salway Church, Forest Approach is recommended as a polling place because Sir James Hawkey Hall in Broomhill Road is outside of the ward.
• Clayhall Ward: Roding Lane Free Church, Roding Lane South, is recommended as an alternative polling place to Redbridge Primary School.
• Cranbrook Ward: Cranbrook Castle Lawn Tennis and Social Club, Pavilion Road is recommended as a Polling Place for the newly created Polling District of CR4.
• Clementswood Ward: Continued use of St Albans Church Hall, Albert Road and Cleveland Road Primary School, Dudley Road is recommended due to the merging of previous Polling Districts.
• Fullwell Ward: St Cedds C of E Church, Marston Road and Holy Trinity Barkingside C of E Church, Mossford Green are recommended to replace Glade Primary School and Mossford Green Primary School respectively.
• Goodmayes Ward: Goodmayes Baptist Church, Goodmayes Road is recommended as a Polling Place to replace the need for the Portakabin in Seven Kings Car Park.
• Hainault Ward: St Paul's Church, Arrowsmith Road and Hainault Library, Manford Way are recommended instead of Coppice Primary School, Burrow Road and John Bramston Primary School, Newcastle Avenue respectively.
• Ilford Town Ward: Redbridge Central Library, Clements Road is recommended due to Ilford Town Polling Districts being reduced from five down to three.
• Mayfield Ward: Goodmayes Library, Goodmayes Lane and South Park Chapel, Ripley Road are recommended as alternatives to Mayespark Primary School, Goodmayes Lane and South Park Primary School respectively.
• Monkhams Ward: St Thomas of Canterbury Church, High Road, Woodford Green and Woodford Bowling Club, Kings Avenue are recommended as suitable alternative Polling Places to St Anthony's RC Primary School, Mornington Road and Elderberries Day Centre, Broadmead Road respectively.
• Newbury Ward: St Margaret's Church Hall, Balfour Road, St Aidan's Catholic Primary Academy, Bradford Road and Aldborough Primary School, Aldborough Road South are recommended for the differently divided Polling Districts.
• Seven Kings Ward: Seven Kings United Free Church, Meads Lane is recommended as a suitable alternative to Downshall Primary School, Meads Lane.
• Valentines Ward: Ilford Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Coventry Road, Jubilee Church Ilford, Granville Road and The Morning Room, Valentines Mansion, Emerson Road are recommended as alternatives to Christchurch Primary School, Children's Centre, Melbourne Road, The Ursuline Academy, Cranbrook Road and Christchurch Children's Centre, Melbourne Road respectively.
• Wanstead Park Ward: Aldersbrook Bowls Club, Aldersbrook Road is recommended as an alternative to Aldersbrook Primary School, Harpenden Road.

The committee agreed to delegate to the Chief Executive the designation of alternative polling places if any polling place is unavailable or a more suitable provision is identified, following consultation with the Group Chief Whips and respective ward councillors.

The report also addressed fairness implications, including equality and diversity, in line with the Equalities Act 2010, ensuring that the proposed polling places have been carefully assessed for accessibility requirements as set out in the Elections Act 2022.

Minutes from Previous Meetings

The committee approved the minutes from the meetings held on 19 December 2024 and 3 June 2025.