Grumbles in village after pub polling station moved to new venue

For the last four elections, voters in a Norfolk village have popped down to their local pub for a pint and to mark a cross on a ballot paper.

But this year, some have been left disappointed after their polling station was moved to a neighbouring village.

The Horse and Groom in Tunstead served as the polling station since 2019.

The Horse and Groom in Tunstead (Image: Newsquest)

However, after the recent Police and Crime Commissioner elections earlier this year, North Norfolk District Council made the decision to move it to Ashmanhaugh 1.4 miles away.

This was due to the pub being full of drinkers and players competing in a darts tournament at the same time as people voting.

The mismatch of people performing their democratic duty and boisterous drinkers caused problems with accessibility and parking at the 17th-century inn.

The move has left some villagers cross that they had to travel further to cast their vote, with one local even appealing against NNDC's decision to move it from the pub.

READ MORE: Follow our live coverage of the General Election 2024 results

The pub was deemed to be not an appropriate place for people to vote in, as it would become busy with punters as well as voters (Image: PA)

Responding to the concerns, Steve Blatch, chief executive of NNDC, issued a statement to villagers explaining the decision.

He said: "Concerns have been raised with me about the suitability of the space available in the pub... issues include limited space available for polling purposes, which is not totally separate from the public house.

"The facilities available aren't conducive for elections staff working for 15 hours staffing the polling station.

"For these reasons, I had to consider alternative locations."

Steve Blatch, chief executive of North Norfolk District Council (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Blatch added that the reason it was moved to Preston Rooms in Ashmanaugh was because there were no other public buildings in Tunstead, which does not have a village or parish hall.

Views from villagers will be sought after the election to find a suitable alternative for the future.

For those upset, there is a chance it could return to the Horse and Groom, if changes are made to make it more suitable as a polling station.