‘Don’t use school as a polling station’

PARENTS of children at Oaklands Infant and Junior Schools in Crowthorne are calling on the council to choose a different location for the polling station.

The site has been selected as the Wokingham Without polling station, for the local elections on Thursday, May 6.

Lee Godwin, who has two children at the school, created a petition against the location choice. He said closing the schools and a nursery would “deny approximately 450 children another day of education”.

“In this year of Covid and the amount of school days lost, I can’t believe they are even considering closing the school again,” he added.

“Not to mention the contamination risk and cost of deep cleaning so the school can open again on Friday.

Residents signing the petition cited “bringing potential covid germs” onto the premises as a concern, combined with “disrupting” education.

It has gathered more than 480 signatures so far.

Mr Godwin suggested alternative venues including

Pinewood and East Berkshire Golf Club.

“This could utilise existing buildings or use a marquee and a number of traffic marshall’s if required,” he said.

A spokesperson for the borough council said: “We appreciate the need to minimise any further disruption to children and young peoples’ education and are working closely with the governors of Oaklands School to achieve this.

“The council continues to assess the limited alternative accessible polling places in Wokingham Without ward that could safely accommodate voters, candidates, agents and staff on May 6.

“At the current time, Oaklands School remains the designated polling place for voters in Wokingham Without ward.”