A WEST Devon borough councillor is calling for a polling station in her Tavistock ward in a bid to make it easier for people, especially the elderly, to vote. Cllr Alison Clish-Green, who represents the south west ward of the town, wants a central location and is making a plea to businesses and organisations to offer part of their premises on election days. She said: ?Since this ward was made and hived off from the rest of the south ward five years ago there has been no polling station within it. ?Last time we used Whitchurch Village Hall, but that is a long way from the residents in Westbridge Cottages and Grenville Drive, a lot of whom are elderly.? With no community venue, there is no obvious site for a polling station. ?It needs to be somewhere accessible and where people can get to on public transport,? she said. ?Somewhere near Morrison?s or on the Plymouth Road Industrial Estate would be ideal.? If a business has part of a building which could be cordoned off for a polling station, Cllr Clish Green would like to hear from them. ?It would have to be reasonably comfortable because staff from the borough council would need to sit there from 7am to 10pm on election days,? she added. ?They need to have access to a toilet and a kettle so they could make a drink.? Borough council elections are once every four years but the venue would also be used for county council and general elections and by-elections. The ward stretches from Westbridge Cottages up to Whitchurch, which is two miles away. Cllr Clish Green will be raising the issue at a meeting of West Devon Borough Council next Tuesday. She said she would always encourage people who had a problem getting to polling stations to use their postal vote: ?I think people are under the impression that you can only use a postal vote if you are in the forces or on holiday but anybody can. ?Some people, however, like to physically go to the ballot box and everyone should have that opportunity in the south west ward.? Anyone who can offer a solution can call Cllr Clish-Green on 01822 614879 or Clarissa Green at West Devon Borough Council on 01822 813600.
