Congestion charge vote in December

Congestion charge road marking

Rochdalians will go to the polls on 11 December to decide whether to accept the congestion charge.

At a meeting of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, a move by Stockport council leader, Lib-Dem Dave Goddard, to put off the referendum until January was defeated.

The leaders unanimously agreed to the appointment of Sir Neil McIntosh — electoral commissioner for Scotland until this January — as returning officer for the referendum.

He will promote public awareness of the poll, ensure its “security and integrity”, and declare the result.

The electoral register will be used to decide who is eligible to vote. It is normally updated at the beginning of every December but the process will be brought forward to November.

Voters can choose to return their completed ballot paper by post or drop it into a network of delivery points across Greater Manchester towards the end of the polling period.

A declaration of identity will be included in the postal ballot paper pack and the paper will only be valid if accompanied by the signed declaration.

Votes will be counted electronically but the last time there was postal voting in Greater Manchester, police were snowed under with allegations of electoral fraud — mostly in Oldham — in the pioneering postal ballot for European and local council elections.

Stockport’s bid to postpone the poll was backed by Tory controlled Trafford and Bury.

Councillor Goddard said: “How many of these ballot papers will sit behind the clock and people will forget to send them back?

“December is a notoriously difficult time both for the post and for getting people’s attention.”

But Manchester leader Sir Richard Leese astonished his colleagues when he said the delay could cost an extra £42m in increased capital costs, interest payments and loss of income from the congestion charge.

And Tameside leader, Councillor Roy Oldham, said: “If we delay this referendum now, people will start getting suspicious that we have an ulterior motive.”