The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) (Amendment) Regulations 2014

Amendments to the 2012 Regulations

18.—(1) In Schedule 6 (registering to vote in a business referendum)(1), paragraph 23 (emergency change of named voter) is amended as follows.

(2) In sub-paragraph (1)—

(a) omit “a named voter” in the first place those words appear;

(b) at the beginning of paragraphs (a) and (b) insert “a named voter”;

(c) after paragraph (b) insert—

“; or

(c) a business vote holder becomes aware that, as a result of a reason relating to their named voter’s occupation, service or employment, the named voter cannot reasonably be expected to vote in the business referendum in the manner chosen by the named voter,”.

(3) In sub-paragraph (3), after paragraph (b) insert—

“; or

(c) in respect of an application made under sub-paragraph (1)(c), is the evidence described in sub-paragraph (3A).”

(4) After sub-paragraph (3) insert—

“(3A) The evidence referred to in sub-paragraph (3)(c) is—

(a) a statement from the business vote holder that includes—

(i) the name of the named voter’s employer or, if the named voter is self-employed, that fact,

(ii) the reason that the named voter cannot reasonably be expected to vote in the business referendum in the manner chosen by the named voter, and

(iii) the date on which the business vote holder became aware of that reason; and

(b) an attestation—

(i) that is made and signed in accordance with regulation 55A(4), (6) and (7) of the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001, and

(ii) in which the attestor certifies, to the best of their knowledge and belief, that the statements referred to in sub-paragraph (3A)(a)(i) and (ii) are true.”

(5) For sub-paragraph (4) substitute—

“(4) For the purposes of sub-paragraphs (3)(a) and (3A)(b)(i), the provisions of the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 mentioned in those sub-paragraphs are to have effect as if—

(a) any reference to the applicant was to the named voter, and

(b) any reference to an application was to the application under sub-paragraph (1).”

(1)

Schedule 6 was inserted by S.I. 2013/798.