Candidates at local and Parliamentary elections (including parish and town elections) can use certain rooms for public meetings in the run-up to the election.
A meeting room is any room that would commonly be let out for public use and wholly or partially maintained by public funds, including those in some schools and libraries.
These rooms can be used for local elections from the last day for the submission of nominations.
Reasonable notice must be given. For school halls, the hire must be outside of school hours and not affect the school's usual operations.
When a room is used for meetings, the hirer is liable to be charged for expenses incurred, such as heating and lighting; any damage incurred is also the responsibility of the hirer. Schools can charge a nominal fee to compensate for expenses and for a caretaker to set up/restore a room. This element is a matter between the party/candidate and the venue and should be settled directly with them. It is not a matter for the Returning Officer.
view a list of the Council's libraries which may have suitable meeting rooms
view a list of schools in the Dorset Council area which may have suitable rooms
Please note: if you are unable to view any of the PDFs on this page, please contact us for a paper copy.