Reading Liberal Democrats

Reading East’s Liberal Democrat Parliamentary campaigner Gareth Epps is launching a campaign for Reading University’s halls of residence to be able to vote on campus, as part of an ongoing review of polling stations for which consultation is drawing to a close.

Currently, students in Halls have to trek across campus to polling stations up to almost a mile away in Reading and Earley.

The campus is split between Reading and Wokingham boroughs, and between the Reading East and Wokingham constituencies. Garethhas made a submission calling for students in Halls of Residence on the University campus, and possibly some adjoining residents in Church ward, to vote on the university premises. The Lib Dems say the measure would encourage voter turnout, particularly for younger voters.

Reading University’s Student Union has also called for the change which would follow universities such as Bath and York, both of which have introduced campus polling stations in recent years.

Liberal Democrat councillors for Redlands, Daisy Benson and Kirsten Bayes, have also asked for changes so residents in the Morgan Road/Allcroft Road area can travel less far to vote. Currently most of these residents vote at Hexham Road, up and down a hill and almost a mile away.

Gareth says: “Currently, more than a thousand Reading students are supposed to go to the far end of Northcourt Avenue to vote. This is almost a mile away for some of them living at the far end of Upper Redlands Road.”

He added “This hardly encourages young people to take part in the processes that affect them. The same issue affects students on the other side of the campus split across the administrative boundary – which splits one Halls building in two and is itself ripe for review.

To have a polling station on campus would help not just students but some residents in the University area. It would help increase voter turnout and wouldconnect Reading students with the town of which they are very much a part.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson for Wokingham, Prue Bray, added, “There are a lot of students both in halls and in shared houses living around the University and it would make sense to have a polling station on campus. The Lib Dem Council Group at Wokingham is recommending this idea to Wokingham Borough Council.”

Commenting on the proposed changes for residents in the Morgan Road/Allcroft Road area, CllrDaisy Benson says: “The polling station review is a good opportunity to get right some problems and encourage more people to vote. It isn’t right to ask people living in Morgan Road, some of whom are elderly, to walk up a hill and travel so far. There are better solutions.”

Editor’s Note:
The review of polling places has been called for by central Government. All councils are to report by 31 December. The Reading Borough Council consulation ended on 7 September. Wokingham Borough’s consultation is due to conclude on 1 October.