Local elections 2021: Voting moved amid retirement home protest

Voting was due to take place at the Painted Fabrics retirement home on 6 May, but has been moved to another venue following complaints

A council has u-turned on plans to use a number of retirement homes as polling stations leaving some voters not knowing where to cast their ballots.

Sheffield City Council sent out polling cards for the Graves Park ward for voters to use the Painted Fabrics retirement complex.

However, the authority ditched its plans after concerns were raised about the risk of voters spreading Covid.

Local elections are due to take place on 6 May.

Painted Fabrics resident Geoffrey Oldfield, 65, said voting had been due to take place in the shared lounge area, which he said had been off limits to residents throughout the pandemic.

"We were all very worried because obviously we are frightened of catching this virus and also we have suffered with not being able to congregate in the lounge," he said.

"If we couldn't use it, why should people from outside be allowed to," he said.

Mr Oldfield said council officials had later agreed it was unsuitable, but said they were not told where the replacement polling station would be.

However, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service , the council said voters would shortly receive reissued poll cards asking them to cast their ballots at the local bowling pavilion.

Voting due to take place at three sheltered housing schemes in the city is also having to be rearranged, it added.

ENGLAND'S ELECTIONS: THE BASICS

What's happening? On 6 May, people across England will vote for new councillors, mayors and police and crime commissioners. Register to vote here.

Why does it matter? When parties win control of a council, they decide policies for your area which could affect services ranging from social care to rubbish collection. Find out more about what councils do.

Who can vote? Anyone who lives in England, is registered to vote and aged 18 or over on 6 May is eligible. Find your local election here.

Kate Josephs, chief executive of the council and returning officer, said the authority had spent the past two months visiting venues used as polling stations to ensure they were safe.

"In a small number of cases we have identified, as part of this process, that the building could not be adapted to be Covid-safe, or had other issues," she said.

"Where this has happened, we have found another building in the same polling district to use as an alternative."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or send video here.