The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012

[F1 PART 1 E+W Citation and Interpretation

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 7 inserted (6.4.2013) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/798), regs. 1, 7, Sch. 2

Citation E+W

1.   These Rules may be cited as the Neighbourhood Planning Business Referendums Rules.

Interpretation E+W

2.— (1) In these Rules—

“ballot paper envelope” and “covering envelope” mean the envelopes referred to in rule 20;

“business registration officer” has the same meaning as in Schedule 6;

“business vote holder” has the same meaning as in Schedule 6;

“business voting register” has the same meaning as in Schedule 6, and references to the business voting register include any copies of that register or of any part of it;

“counting observer” means a counting observer duly appointed under rule 47;

“corresponding residential referendum” means the other referendum required to be held on the same plan or order as the business referendum conducted under these Rules;

[F2 “left behind postal voting document” is a postal voting document that is left behind at a polling station or left for the returning officer without being handed in and for which no return of postal voting documents form has been completed;]

“named voter” means a person whose details appear on the business voting register as a named voter on behalf of a business vote holder in accordance with Schedule 6;

“number on the register” means the number allotted to an entry on the business voting register under paragraph 15(1)(e) of Schedule 6;

“polling observer” means a polling observer duly appointed under rule 47;

“postal ballot box” means the ballot box referred to in rule 29(1)(b);

“postal ballot paper” means a ballot paper issued to a postal voter;

“postal voter” means a named voter who has chosen to vote by post;

“postal voters’ ballot box” means the ballot box referred to in rule 29(1)(a);

[F2 “postal voting document” means a postal ballot paper, postal voting statement or other document that has been issued to a person for the purpose of enabling the person to vote by post in a business referendum;]

[F2 “relevant officer” means—

(a)

where a postal voting document is handed in at a polling station—

(i)

the person presiding at the polling station, or

(ii)

a clerk at the polling station;

(b)

where a postal voting document is handed into the counting officer, a person acting under the authority of that officer;]

[F2 “return of postal voting documents form” has the meaning given in rule 27A;]

“valid postal voting statement” means a postal voting statement which, in accordance with rule 34 or 35, the counting officer is satisfied has been duly completed;

“voters list” has the same meaning as in Schedule 6, and references to the voters list include any copies of that list or of any part of it;

“universal postal service provider” has the meaning given in Part 3 of the Postal Services Act 2011 to a “universal service provider”.

(2) Other expressions used both in these Rules and in the 1983 Act (as it applies to local government elections) have the same meaning in these Rules as they have in that Act.]

Textual Amendments

F2 Words in Sch. 7 rule 2(1) inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Representation of the People (Postal Vote Handling and Secrecy) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1225), reg. 9(5)(a)