Mansfield polling stations switch venues to avoid school closures

The decision follows requests by Nottinghamshire County Council and headteachers for councils to find alternative polling stations for the local government elections on May 6.

Hayley Barsby, Mansfield’s deputy returning officer, said the move ‘recognises the impact on students and parents of a further day of school closures and home schooling’ in a year in which education has been severely affected due to the Covid-19 crisis.

"We will look again at which premises we use as polling stations following the review of ward boundaries by the Boundary Commission later this year," she said.

The decision also takes into account the unavailability of previously used polling places.

Some of the changes include:

- Warsop Methodist Church moves to Black Market Venue;

- Church Vale Primary School moves to Tudor Barn;

- Nettleworth Infant School, Mansfield Woodhouse, moves to Mansfield Woodhouse Seventh Day Adventist Church;

- St Edmund's Church of England School, Mansfield Woodhouse, moves to Turner Community Hall, Mansfield Woodhouse;

- Heatherley Primary School moves to Flint Avenue Community Centre;

- John T Rice Infant and Nursery School, Forest Town, moves to The Garrage Young People’s Centre, Forest Town;

- St Patrick's Catholic Primary School moves to the The Sherwoods Community Hall;

- Tuxford Court Meeting Room moves to Trowell Court Hall;

- Mansfield Primary Academy moves to Henley Hall and St Lawrence’s Church Hall;

- Asquith Primary School moves to the Calvary Church;

- Berry Hill Primary moves to a Portacabin on King George V Park and to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints;

- Sutton Road Primary School moves to the Bold Forester;

- The Flying High Academy moves to Brookside Hall.

Residents have until April 19 to register to vote in May’s elections and can do so at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

The deadlines for applying to vote by post is 5pm on April 20, and 5pm on April 27 to vote by proxy.

For more information about elections and voting, visit www.mansfield.gov.uk/elections-voting.