This Order gives effect to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England in respect of the county of Buckinghamshire insofar as they relate to the structure of local government in the borough of Milton Keynes (“Milton Keynes”).

Article 3 effects the structural change by providing for the transfer, on 1st April 1997, of the functions of the Buckinghamshire County Council in relation to Milton Keynes to the council of that borough.

Articles 4 and 5 make provision in respect of the Thames Valley Police Authority.

Article 6 makes provision for the purposes of subordinate legislation to be made under the Fire Services Act 1947 in respect of fire services in Milton Keynes.

Article 7 makes provision in relation to the Buckinghamshire structure plan and to enable the local plan prepared by the council of Milton Keynes under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to contain minerals and waste policies.

Article 8 provides for Milton Keynes to cease to form part of Buckinghamshire on 1st April 1997, and for a new country of Milton Keynes to be constituted on that date (but without a county council).

Article 9 and Schedule 1 provide for new electoral areas for Milton Keynes for elections from May 1996. The new wards are shown on the 3 maps prepared by the Department of the Environment, marked “Maps of the Buckinghamshire (Borough of Milton Keynes) (Structural Change) Order 1995”.

Those maps may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of the Secretary of State for the Environment, 2, Marsham Street, London SW1P 3EB, and at the offices of Milton Keynes Borough Council and Buckinghamshire County Council.

Article 10 and Schedule 2 makes provision for a whole council election in Milton Keynes in 1996, and for election by thirds thereafter.

Article 11 makes provision to revoke an existing electoral arrangements order in respect of Milton Keynes.

Article 12 provides for the retirement, on 1st April 1997, of existing county councillors elected for areas included in Milton Keynes. It also makes provision in respect of casual vacancies in the office of a councillor who, by virtue of the Order, would retire before the day he would regularly have retired.