CHANGES to some polling stations in Wyre Forest have been approved by district councillors.

The decision was made at a meeting of Wyre Forest District Council on Wednesday.

The council agreed last year to conduct a review of polling places. A consultation took place between November 2011 and January 2012.

The current polling station at St George’s Community Centre, Load Street, Bewdley will change to Elim Church in Dog Lane.

The station at St Mary’s CofE School, Stoney Lane, Kidderminster will move to the Salvation Army Centre in Jerusalem Walk and Broadwaters Community Centre in Upton Road will change to St Oswald’s School in Sion Avenue.

The current Red Cross Centre, Park Street and Sutton Park Primary School, Greatfield Road, polling stations in Kidderminster will both move to the Evangelical Church on Greatfield Road.

In a letter to councillors, chief executive Ian Miller said the move would “avoid the closure of a school”.

In Stourport, St Wulstan’s Community Centre, Vale Road, will change to the new Stourport Primary School in Park Avenue.

After the consultation it was decided the current polling station at Stourport Community Centre, Lickhill Road would be moved to Scout HQ, also on Lickhill Road.

The TA Centre in Birmingham Road, Kidderminster is no longer available and St John’s Ambulance HQ, Birmingham Road will be used instead.

Councillors voted down an amendment moved by Liberal councillor Fran Oborski which would have seen the Parish Meeting Room in Stone reinstated as a polling station after it was closed in 2011.

It followed a plea from Stone Parish Council chairman James Arbuthnott to reopen the station after the number of electors in Stone who voted dropped by 20 per cent in 2011 following the closure. The current closest polling station is in Chaddesley Corbett.

Conservative councillor Marcus Hart said: “This review was not about reinstating closed polling stations.”

An amendment moved by Labour councillor Jamie Shaw was carried. Mr Shaw requested a report to council on voter turnout from Mitton and Lickhill wards as a result of the changes.