VOTERS will have to "put their lives at risk" to attend a polling station at Cosmeston Country Park, a councillor has said, hitting out at the Vale council for their "total disregard" for people's safety.

The decision to set up a polling station at the country park has been criticised by community councillor Michael Garland who has urged the Vale council to change the location to somewhere safer and more convenient for voters.

Earlier this month Plymouth ward councillor Anthony Ernest accused the Vale council of failing to serve the elderly and infirm of his ward by refusing to alter the locations of polling stations requiring a "long and arduous trip" which are "not accessible by public transport".

Now Cllr Michael Garland has aired his concerns surrounding the polling station at the Rangers Office at Cosmeston.

"The decision shows a total disregard for Lavernock voters health and safety and welfare issues," he said. "To access the Country Park voters will have to put their lives at risk in attempting to cross the busy Lavernock Road with its speeding traffic and no pedestrian crossing.

"Voters will be further deterred from voting especially in the hours of darkness as they will have to negotiate their way through the unlit, tree-lined tracks and car park area of the Country Park to get to the polling station, notwithstanding the threat of being the victims of vehicular accidents, anti-social behaviour or other criminal offences in this area."

He noted that although the Vale council had taken into account consultations about the movement of the polling station from Falcon Grove, they have ignored consultations made regarding its new location.

He said that he considered Lower Penarth Community Centre a preferable location for Lavernock voters

He said: "The Community Centre is not only closer to the Cosmeston Estate than the Rangers Office but is easily accessed via the lit estate pavements and pathways which link both the Cosmeston and Brockhill estates. There is also ample car parking here for those voters who have to drive from the extremities of the ward."

The Vale of Glamorgan's council's Returning Officer, Debbie Marles, said: “The decision to move this polling station into the Rangers Office at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park followed a review which involved two consultation exercises commencing in August 2014 and concluding in October 2014.

"All representations received were carefully considered, local equality groups were consulted and the proposed move was the subject of an equality impact assessment scoping exercise."