Lostock mum campaigns to stop schools being used for elections

Emma Pickett, 36, from Lostock, has put in a complaint to Bolton Council to appeal the decision behind Lostock Primary School being used as a polling station as she believes there are alternative locations which could be used.

Starting a petition which now has more than 100 signatures, Emma said she is opposed to schools being closed because it impacts their education.

Emma said: “There are two reasons really why I am complaining to the council regarding the polling station at Lostock Primary School.

“Firstly, I am fundamentally opposed to the closure of schools for polling where there are alternative buildings available.

“The reasons I would give for that are, we have a wealth of public buildings in Bolton that could be used, and this isn’t just in relation to Lostock, I understand that they are closing schools across Bolton when we live in an urban/suburban area where we have got village halls, church halls and leisure centres that could be easily used.

Emma Pickett, a parent of a child who goes to Lostock Primary School (Image: Emma Pickett)

“In 2022, we didn’t use Lostock Primary School we used Regents Park Golf Club and I am absolutely baffled as to why the council is not using that again.

“The only reason we have been given by the council is that a couple of people have whinged about it and that seems to be their entire consultation on the topic.

“So I am fundamentally opposed to the closure of schools because it will be shut to the formal education of children, I would always hold that view but never more so for this current cohort of children who have been asked to give up so much.

“Due to the enforced closures of schools over the Covid pandemic they have been asked to give up more than we have ever asked of any other generation of children.

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“I believe it is incumbent of anybody in power whether that is the council or government, to preserve as many days of formal education for children as they possibly can.

"Because this decision was taken so late in the day it means that Lostock children will not get the 190 days they are entitled to they will instead get 189 days because the holidays have already been published, this is one of the main threads of my argument.

“The second and the perhaps more serious charge that I would level at Bolton Council is the way in which they have arrived at this decision.

“I have looked at their own published constitution and can find absolutely no evidence that they have followed any of the principles of their constitution in arriving at this decision.

“It has been made without giving the school or parents of the children their own voice, and the decision has been made without any consultation from the people who actually use the polling station.

“So, I fail to see how they can say they have consulted with anyone on this decision.

“I made comments on the councillors public Facebook pages asking them to explain this decision.

“I am absolutely enraged by the lack of respect they are affording to children.

“I have every intention if I don’t get the outcome I want from this complaint to seek permission for judicial review because I believe the decision making is so flawed.

“I don’t want Lostock Primary to be used as a polling station but on a local and national level I don’t want any schools to be closed for polling too.”

Emma has set up a petition which has more than 100 signatures (Image: Emma Pickett)

According to Bolton Council, Lostock Primary School has been used as a polling station for many years because it met the required criteria.

After representations were made, the council agreed to move the polling station to Regent Park Golf Centre for the election in 2022. 

However, a review of polling stations took place in 2022 following the Local Government Boundary Commission review. 

Changes have been made to some ward boundaries which have affected the location of some polling stations and a public consultation on polling stations began across the borough on July 11 and ended on August 1 last year.

The findings of the consultation were reviewed with local ward councillors contributing to the final decision where the council approved the proposed polling stations on November 30 at the full council meeting.

There had been a fall in voter numbers from 2018 when 437 votes had been cast at Lostock Primary School, to 360 in 2022 when the polling station had been relocated to Regent Park Golf Centre.

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A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “Bolton Council has a duty to ensure polling stations are accessible and conveniently located.

“Lostock Primary School has been used as a polling station for a number of years, except for a brief period when voting was moved to Regent Park Golf Centre, which saw a significant drop in voter numbers.

“A public consultation on the borough’s polling stations was held from 11 July 2022 to 1 August 2022, and the school was selected based on this feedback and input from members.

“We work to minimise disruption to schools, but unfortunately it is not always possible to avoid using a school as a polling station.”

If you would like to look in more detail at the petition, it can be found here: https://www.change.org/Reconsiderschoolclosure