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Terms of Reference for the Polling District and Polling Places Review to be undertaken by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Introduction

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is carrying out a Polling District and Polling Places Review pursuant to the provisions of Schedule A1 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (as amended) and the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 which introduced a change to the timing of compulsory reviews of UK Parliamentary polling districts and polling places that this review must be completed between 1 October 2018 and 31 January 2020 (inclusive).

The review will have regard to the guidance issued by the Electoral Commission on “Reviews of polling districts, polling places and polling stations”.

The aim of the review is to ensure that the arrangements of polling districts, polling places and polling stations allow electors to cast their votes as easily and conveniently as is reasonably practicable, taking account of the boundaries of the borough wards and the current Parliamentary Constituencies.

The review will be conducted in accordance with the terms of reference contained in this review.

What will the review consider?

The review will look at:

  • The boundary, name and reference of existing polling districts
  • The scope for merging polling districts, and the need to retain/create new polling districts
  • The polling places for each polling district
  • The suitability of existing polling places and stations used for each polling district (including in particular its access and suitability for use by disabled electors)
  • Possible alternative polling places which may be more suitable or more convenient than existing polling places.

What issues will not be considered as part of the review?

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England carried out a review of the borough ward boundaries and electoral arrangements in 2013 and published its final recommendations on 25 March in the same year.

Representations on matters such as changes to Borough Ward boundaries cannot be dealt with under this review.

What is the area under review?

The whole of the London borough of Tower Hamlets is included in the scope of the review.

Why is the council carrying out a polling district review?

Pursuant to changes brought in by the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013, the council is statutorily required to carry out a review of polling districts and polling places between 1 October 2018 and 31 January 2020.

A report will be prepared by the Head of Electoral Services to be presented to Full Council on 15 January 2020, when a formal decision as to the outcome of this review will be taken.

The last full review of the borough’s polling districts was carried out in 2014.

What is the present structure of polling districts?

Tower Hamlets has 75 polling districts of varying sizes. Maps showing the geographical extent of each district are available on the council’s webpage with hard copies available for inspection in 

Electoral Services
7th Floor
Town Hall
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG 

Details of the name, reference, and elector numbers for each district are detailed on the website.

How will the review work?

A formal Notice of the review will be published on 23 August 2019.

Copies of the Notice will also be displayed at the council’s offices and in at least one other conspicuous location within the authority. The Notice will also be sent to interested parties, including elected representatives, political parties, disability groups and other stakeholders. A press release will be issued, and the council will use its social media feeds to draw attention to the review and the process.

The review will run from 23 August 2019 to 31 January 2020. The initial consultation stage will run from the publication of the Notice on 23 August 2019 for eight weeks until Friday 18 October 2019.

This stage will involve:

  1. A compulsory submission from the (Acting) Returning Officer of the two UK Parliamentary constituencies within the area of the review, which will be published by the council
  2. Submissions from electors and other interested persons and bodies, including elected representatives and those with expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for disabled people.

Responses received before the end of the consultation period will be considered and taken into account as part of a report to Full Council on 15 January 2020 where it will decide on the most appropriate polling districts and polling places.

If the review results in the alteration of one or more polling districts the Electoral Registration Officer will make the necessary alterations to the electoral register.

Once the council has agreed the proposals the council will publish its conclusions along with all that documents that it is required to publish as set out in guidance from the Electoral Commission.

Electors will be made aware of any changes made to the place they must attend to vote.

Following the conclusion of the review the appeals process for any decision made by the council is set out in guidance from the Electoral Commission. This can be found on the Electoral Commission website.

Who will we consult?

Electors within the authority and the two UK Parliamentary constituencies may make a representation and the authority would welcome the views of all residents, particularly disabled residents, on the authority’s proposals, the (Acting) Returning Officer’s representation or any other matters.

The authority would also welcome any person or body with expertise in access for persons with any type of disability to comment on the authority’s proposals, the (Acting) Returning Officer’s representation or any other matters.

The council is also consulting with elected representatives, Borough Council Members, political parties, disabled groups and other parties deemed to have expertise in the process.

The (Acting) Returning Officer for the Parliamentary Constituencies of Bethnal Green and Bow and Poplar and Limehouse will also be consulted and the formal response published on the webpage.

If premises are proposed as alternative polling places they will also be consulted and sent a copy of the Notice of the Review so they can respond to the consultation.

Timetable for the review

The Polling District Review formally begins when the Notice of Review is published. The timetable below outlines the main stages of the review (please note that these dates may be subject to slight alteration).

  1. Publication of notice and terms of reference (official start of review) – 23 August 2019
  2. Publication of comments of the (Acting) Returning Officer
  3. Consultation Period 23 August to 18 October 2019
  4. Report on review to General Purposes Committee 10 December 2019
  5. Report on review to Full Council 15 January 2020
  6. Preparation of Polling Districts and Polling Places orders – January 2020
  7. Publication of council’s conclusions and decisions 31 January 2020
  8. Publication of electoral register based on any revised polling districts/places – 1 February 2020
Answer:

We can take action on excessive levels of noise considered to be a statutory noise nuisance, but you must be aware that we need to monitor the noise complained of from within your premises (if such action is to be considered). You can report incidents of noise via the noise pollution page.

Answer:

If you have reported an ongoing problem of ASB, but do not believe it has been dealt with you can ask the Community Safety Partnership to review your complaints (including incidents of hate) under the Community Trigger process.

The Community Trigger should only be used if no action has been taken as a result of repeat reporting to the council, police and/or a housing provider. It cannot be used to report general acts of crime.

To qualify for the Community Trigger the following criteria must be met:

  1. Three separate anti-social behaviour incidents have been reported within six months of the first incident
  2. The Community Trigger must be submitted within a month of the last reported incident, and where it is considered that ‘no action’ has been taken  

‘No action taken’ is defined as:

  1. the reported problems have not been acknowledged i.e. no one has contacted the victim to advise what action would be taken
  2. the reported problems have not been appropriately investigated
  3. the victim’s vulnerability and/or the potential for harm has not been considered and this has affected potential service delivery
  4. no action has been taken because information has not been shared between partners and this has affected potential service delivery

If you believe your on-going reports of antisocial behaviour have not been dealt with appropriately and satisfy the criteria’s mentioned above, please visit our Community Trigger page for more information and to submit your application.

Answer:

Election of a borough Councillor

The following is a statement of the persons nominated for election as a Borough Councillor for Lansbury Ward – Polling Day Thursday 7 February 2019.

Answer:

Data controller and purpose

This privacy notice applies to you (“the service user”) and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (“the council”). The council takes the privacy of your information very seriously. This privacy notice applies to the council’s use of any and all of the data provided by you or collected by the council in relation to your use of this service. It is important that you understand that sometimes we will need to share your data with other agencies where necessary or appropriate and by engaging with our service you understand that that your data may be shared.

The information you provide will be used by the LB Tower Hamlets Drug Intervention Programme (DIP) to deliver a service that can be tailored to your individual needs and preferences. Data is used to manage your interaction with the service and will make your journey more effective and successful. Any personal information you give to us is held securely and will be used for the purpose of drug and alcohol treatment.

We process your data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK privacy legislation and if you have any concerns the council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted on DPO@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Condition for processing personal data

It is necessary for us to process your personal data including name, address, contact details, under Article 6(1)(a) consent, Article 6(1)(b) performance of a contract and 6(1)(e) task in the public interest or official authority vested in the controller.

More personal data (health, personal and household circumstances) is being processed under Article 9(2)(a), explicit consent, Article 9(2)(h), preventative or occupational medicine, working capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or management, Article 9(2)(i), public interest in the area of public health and Article 9(2)(j), archiving in the public interest, or scientific and historical research purposes or statistical purposes.

In addition Personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences is processed under Article (10).

“Processing of personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences or related security measures based on Article 6(1) shall be carried out only under the control of official authority or when the processing is authorised by Union or Member State law providing for appropriate safeguards for the rights and freedoms of data subjects. Any comprehensive register of criminal convictions shall be kept only under the control of official authority.”

Information sharing

Your personal information may be shared with internal departments or with external partners and agencies involved in delivering services on our behalf. Your data is shared based on your consent. For example, if you are referred to the Reset Drug and Alcohol Service, we will ask you to share your information with Reset Drug and Alcohol service.

However, confidentiality can be breached in the specific circumstances regulated by law.

The council has a duty to protect public funds and may use personal information and data-matching techniques to detect and prevent fraud, and ensure public money is targeted and spent in the most appropriate and cost-effective way. Information may be shared with internal services and external bodies like the Audit Commission, Department for Work and Pensions, other local authorities, HM Revenue and Customs, and the Police. This activity is carried out under social protection law.

We have a duty to improve the health of the population we serve. To help with this, we use data and information from a range of sources including hospitals to understand more about the nature and causes of disease and ill-health in the area. This data would normally be anonymised and never used to make decisions on a specific individual or family.

We may also anonymise some personal data you provide to us to ensure that you cannot be identified and use this for statistical analysis of data to allow the Council to effectively target and plan the provision of services.

Safeguarding

People’s wellbeing is at the heart of the care and support system under the Care Act 2014, and the prevention of abuse and neglect is one of the elements that make up a person’s wellbeing. Where there are safeguarding, child protection concerns or where someone is at immediate risk to themselves or others we have the right to share information. We do not have to seek consent to share information when we consider a child to be at risk of abuse or neglect. Information will be shared with TH Children’s Social Care. In most circumstances we will inform you that this information has been shared.

Sharing information with our colleagues in Children’s Services is an essential part of building a team to support you, your children and your family. We will only share relevant information with other practitioners and will normally do so only with your agreement. LB Tower Hamlets has the Early Help Hub and Supporting Stronger Families to offer support to families at the earliest opportunity.

Safeguarding adults

Local authorities also have safeguarding responsibilities for vulnerable adults experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect who are unable to protect themselves because of their care and support needs and for carers.

An adult with care and support needs may be:

  • an older person
  • a person with a physical disability
  • a learning difficulty or a sensory impairment
  • someone with mental health needs, including dementia or a personality disorder
  • a person with a long-term health condition or
  • someone who misuses substances or alcohol.

How long do we keep your information?

We only keep your information as long is required by law and to provide you with necessary services. This is likely to be after the case is closed. Your records will be retained for a minimum of 7 years. However, if you are serving a prison sentence longer than 7 years, we will hold your information for longer.

For further details, you can view our Retention Schedule.

Local case management system Nebula

The information you provide to us is held securely on an electronic case management system called Nebula. To provide a continuous treatment journey, Nebula is used by TH DIP, TH Reset drug and alcohol service and the TH Prostitution Support Programme (Beyond the Streets). If consent is given to share information with Reset and Beyond the Streets, services will be able to access relevant information about you on the Nebula system.

Your rights

You can find out more about your rights on our Data Protection page and this includes details of your rights about automated decisions, such as the ranking of Housing Applications, and how to complain to the Information Commissioner.

Answer:

We take your privacy very seriously therefore we urge you to read this policy very carefully because it contains important information about us and:

  1. the personal information we collect about you
  2. what we do with your information, and
  3. who your information may be shared with.

Who we are

Tower Hamlets Borough Council (‘we’ or ‘us’) are a ‘data controller’ for the purpose of the General Data Protection Regulations, (i.e. we are responsible for, and control the processing of, your personal information).

What is the legal basis for the collection, use and storage of the data?

We require this data for Statutory reasons under the Traffic Management Act 2004 (and associated regulations) and the Transport Act 2000, (and associated regulations, notably the Bus Lane Contraventions (Penalty Charges, Adjudication and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2005).

Information we collect

We collect the following information about you:

  1. Vehicle registration mark
  2. Name
  3. Address

Some examples of when we collect this information include:

When a vehicle is seen in contravention, Bus Lane/Parking

We will contact the DVLA to obtain the Registered Keeper details to issue a Penalty Charge Notice/Notice to Owner If the vehicle is hired/lease then we request a copy of the hire/lease agreement from the registered keeper of the vehicle to enable the transfer of liability If the registered keeper has sold the vehicle, then we can obtain details of the new keeper from the registered keeper at the time of contravention.

Monitoring and recording communications

We may monitor communications such as emails and telephone calls for the following purposes:

  1. Quality assurance
  2. Training
  3. Fraud prevention
  4. Compliance.

How we use the information we collect

We collect information about you for the following purposes:

  1. the keeper/hirer details are obtained to enable the council to enforce the Penalty Charge Notice/Notice to Owner under the Statutory Process in place.

For information about the statutory process please visit the London Tribunals page.

Give details of how long the data will be stored and criteria used to determine this?

Data is stored for a period of up to two years after the case is closed, or for as long as the case remains outstanding.

Who your information may be shared with?

We may share your information with:

  1. WSP Ltd
  2. DVLA
  3. Enforcement Agencies
  4. Law enforcement agencies in connection with any investigation to help prevent unlawful activity
  5. Northgate Public Services
  6. NSL Services Group
  7. Siemens
  8. The Traffic Enforcement Centre
  9. Other local authorities.

The information will be shared internally for the better performance and efficiency of council services.

Keeping your information secure

We will use technological and organisational measures to keep your information secure. These measures may include the following examples:

  1. all data is stored on a database on a secure server which are password protected
  2. all payment processing is done using PCI compliance systems.

What rights do you have?

The data protection legislation provides you with rights in regards to your personal data, these are: the right to be informed, the right of access, the right to rectification, the right to erase, the right to restrict processing, the right to data portability, the right to object and the rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.

Right of Access – you have a right to request a copy of your information

You can request a copy of your information which we hold (this is known as a subject access request). If you would like a copy please:

  1. Email or write to us (using the following contact details)
  2. show us proof of your identity and address (a copy of your driving licence or passport and a recent utility or credit card bill), and
  3. tell us the information you want a copy of, including any account or reference numbers, if you have them
  4. you can make a Subject Access Request.

Right to correct any mistakes in your information

You can request us to correct any mistakes in your information which we hold free of charge. If you would like to do this, please;

  1. write to us (using the contact details below)
  2. give us have enough information to identify you such as; your reference, Penalty Charge Notice number (PCN), name, address and vehicle registration details
  3. let us know the information that is incorrect and what it should be replaced with giving dates.

Right to be forgotten

You have the right to be forgotten so you can ask for your personal information to be deleted where:

  1. it is no longer needed for the reason why it was collected in the first place
  2. you have removed your consent for us to use your information and we do not have to keep your information for legal reasons.

If we have shared your personal information with others, we will do what we can to make sure those using your personal information comply with your request for erasure.

Answer:

No, your permit is valid until it expires and you will have to apply for a new one.

You can apply for a new permit up to one month before your old one expires and you can change the start date so that you do not lose any time.

Answer:

Your paper permit has already been added to the new system as a virtual permit, so you do not need to display it.

Answer:

When you register on the new parking portal, an email with a verification link is sent to confirm the email address that was provided. The registration process is not complete until you have clicked the verification link.

If you do not see the verification emails in your inbox, please:

  1. ensure you are using the same email address that you registered with. If you have mistyped the email when registering, this will not work, and you will need to start the registration process again.
  2. check your email spam/junk filter for the email.

If you still do not receive a verification email and it’s been an hour since registering, please contact us.

Answer:

You can reset your password on the password reset page.

You can only reset your password for an account if you have completed the registration process already, including clicking on the verification link sent to your email when you registered.

If you are having problems verifying your account or resetting your password, please

  1. ensure you are using the same email address that you registered with
  2. check your email spam/junk filter for the email.

If you are still unable to reset your password, please contact us.

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