COVID-safe election requires 3 count centres for Highlands and Islands
Issued on behalf of the Constituency and Regional Returning Officer for Highland
Work starts today (Monday 26 April) on the erection of marquees at Queen’s Park, adjacent to Inverness Leisure for the Scottish Parliamentary election count.
Donna Manson, Constituency and Regional Returning Officer for Highland explained: “We have carried out a full assessment of the requirements to provide safe election counts during the pandemic. Following consultation with the Electoral Management Board; Regional Returning Officers within the Highlands and Islands; and Unions we concluded that 3 count centres are absolutely required to provide COVID-safe counting centres in order to follow government guidelines and maintain required social distancing.
“We have been working very closely with our partners High Life Highland to provide safe and secure count centres in these very difficult times. High Life Highland have been engaging with their service users.”
Douglas Wilby, Highland Life Highland’s Director of Sport and Leisure said: “We have contacted the various clubs and organisations that would usually use the sports centre and while most of them normally suspend their activities for election counts, we are happy to work them to try to find alternatives where possible given the unusual circumstances in which we find ourselves.
“I understand that The Highland Council considered other venues, but due to the COVID-safe and increased security requirements needed for this particular election count, Inverness Leisure was the only venue that was able to accommodate those needs and as a partner organisation, HLH was happy to assist.”
The main marquee at Queens Park will be used as the count centre for the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency. An additional marquee is also being erected to enable a socially distanced staff support facility. This arrangement also provides enhanced site security, which is essential for the count, as well as a COVID-safe environment.
Inverness and Nairn constituency will be counted in the Inverness Leisure main sports hall; and the Highland Football Academy in Dingwall will be the count centre for the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross constituency.
Queens Park athletics track is closed to the public from today (Monday 26th April) and is scheduled to re-open on 12th May. The sports halls in Inverness Leisure will be closed to the public on 3rd May in preparation for the ballot boxes arriving when polling stations around the Highlands close on Thursday 6th May. The gym will be closed on 7th May and will re-open on Sunday 9th May. The other indoor facities will re-open on Monday 10th May. The temporary restrictions do not apply to the swimming pools which will remain open throughout.
The Highland Football Academy, another HLH facility, will also be used for the election count. The location will close to the public on 30th April and reopen on 10th May.