VOTERS in Ellesmere Port and Neston go to the polls on May 5 to decide who should represent them on Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Three years ago, in the inaugural elections for the newly created authority, polling took place on the basis of the former Cheshire County Council divisions, each represented by three councillors.

Twenty four divisions covered the entire borough, with six in Ellesmere Port and Neston – Central and Westminster, Grange and Rossmore, Groves and Whitby, Ledsham and Willaston, Neston and Parkgate and Sutton and Manor.

Since then a review of electoral arrangements has increased the future number of Cheshire West and Chester councillors from the original 72 to 75.

And there is a far greater number of wards – 46 – after the Local Government Boundary Commission rejected proposals by the Tory-controlled council to cover the borough with fewer multi-member wards.

The council argued this was a better arrangement than wards with only one councillor, where the electorate could suffer if the councillor was ill or on holiday or had a high-profile council position which took a great deal of time.

The opposition Labour and Liberal Democrat groups insisted the original bid for the new council had envisaged wards with one councillor as they were more directly accountable to their electorate.

The commission carried out consultations and came up with a mix of wards, 13 in Ellesmere Port and Neston, with one, two and three councillors.

In Ellesmere Port the new ward boundaries take account of features such as the A41 and the railway line.

The road divides Ledsham and Manor on one side from St Paul’s, Sutton and Strawberry on the other.

Netherpool and Rossmore on one side of the railway are divided from Grange, Whitby and Ellesmere Port Town wards on the other.

Details of your local polling station are on your polling card.

The 13 wards and their polling stations:

TOWN:
Ellesmere Port Town.
LA1 The Oaks Primary. School, Rochester Drive
LA2 Wolverham Community School, Milton Road.
LA3 Flatt Lane Community Centre, Flatt Lane.
LA4 Cambridge Road Community School.

GRANGE:
LC1 The Acorns Primary School, Pooltown Road.
LC2 The Acorns Primary School.
LC3 The Acorns Primary School.

NETHERPOOL:
LG1 Rivacre Valley Primary School, Rivacre Brow.
LG2 Overpool Community Centre, Rivacre Road.

ROSSMORE:
LJ1 Westminster Community Centre, Church Parade.
LJ2 Westminster Primary School, John Street.
LJ3 Westminster Primary School, John Street.

ST PAUL’S:
LK1 Rossmore Primary School, Red Lion Lane.
LK2 St Mary of the Angel Catholic Primary School, Rossall Grove.
LK3 Great Sutton Village Hall, Old Chester Road.
LK4 Mobile polling station, Hawthorn Road, 64 Hawthorn Road/71 Glenwood Road.
LK5 Parklands Primary School, Parklands.
LK6 University Church of England Academy, Woodchurch Lane entrance, Woodchurch Lane.
LK7 Thelwall Road Community Centre.

STRAWBERRY:
LL1 Mobile polling station, Hourd Way.
LL2 Mobile polling station, Willowdale Way, between Cedardale Drive and Blackthorne Drive.

SUTTON:
LM1 St John’s Church Hall, Old Chester Road.
LM2 Brookside Primary School, Rostherne Avenue.
LM3 Meadow Primary School, Dolphin Crescent.
LM4 Ellesmere Port Sea Cadets, Appleton Drive.
LM5 Hope Farm Community Centre, Bridge Meadow, Hope Farm Road.

WHITBY:
LN1 Our Lady Star of The Sea Catholic Primary school, Windsor Drive.
LN2 Whitby High School (Sycamore Drive entrance).
LN3 Mobile polling station, Stanney Woods Avenue, junction of Stanney Woods Avenue and Ramsey Road.
LN4 Whitby Heath Primary School, Wyedale.
LN5 Christ Church C of E Primary School, Deeside.

ELSEWHERE:
Ledsham and Manor.
LD1 Mobile polling station, Little Sutton C of E Primary School, Berwick Road.
LD2 Sutton Green Primary School, Armthorpe Drive.
LD3 Mobile polling station, Gorsthills Primary School, Berry Drive.
LD4 Mobile polling station, Gorsthills Primary School.


LITTLE NESTON & BURTON:
LE1 The Burton and Puddington, Gladstone Village Hall, The Village, Burton.
LE2 Ness Village Hall, Neston Road.
LE3 St Michael’s Community Church, Marshlands Road, Little Neston.
LE4 Little Neston Methodist Church Schoolroom, Mellock Lane.
LE5 St Winifrides Church Hall, Burton Road, Little Neston.
JM1 Two Mills Presbyterian Church, Woodbank.
JM2 Two Mills Presbyterian Church.
JM3 Two Mills Presbyterian Church.

NESTON:
LF1 Neston Area Office, High Street.

PARKGATE:
LH1 Parkgate Primary School, Brooklands Road.
LH2 Parkgate and Neston United Reformed Church Hall, Moorside Lane.

WILLASTON & THORNTON:
LP1 Willaston Memorial Hall, The Green.
LP2 Childer Thornton Primary School, New School Lane.