Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Borough of Ribble Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 2001.

(2) This Order shall come into force—

(a)for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 1st May 2003, on 15th October 2002;

(b)for all other purposes, on 1st May 2003.

(3) In this Order—

“borough” means the borough of Ribble Valley;

“existing”, in relation to a ward, means the ward as it exists on the date this Order is made; and

any reference to the map is a reference to the map prepared by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions marked “Map of the Borough of Ribble Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 2001”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994(4).

Wards of the borough of Ribble Valley

2.—(1) The existing wards of the borough(5) shall be abolished.

(2) The borough shall be divided into twenty-four wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 1.

(3) The wards shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of that Schedule by reference to parishes or, where an area is not so described, the area designated on the map by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by red lines; and the number of councillors to be elected for each ward shall be the number specified in respect of the ward in column (3) of that Schedule.

(4) Where a boundary is shown on the map as running along a road, railway line, footway, watercourse or similar geographical feature, it shall be treated as running along the centre line of the feature.

Elections of the council of the borough of Ribble Valley

3.—(1) The ordinary elections of all councillors of the borough of Ribble Valley shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of non-metropolitan district councillors in 2003(6) and every fourth year after 2003.

(2) The term of office of councillors shall be four years; and all councillors shall retire on the day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in the year of retirement and the newly-elected councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

Wards of the parish of Billington and Langho

4.  The parish of Billington and Langho shall be divided into two parish wards, which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 2; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule; and the number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be the number specified in respect of the parish ward in column (3) of that Schedule.

Wards of the parish of Clitheroe

5.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Clitheroe shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into five parish wards which shall bear the names Edisford and Low Moor, Littlemoor, Primrose, Salthill and St Mary's; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward bearing the same name; and the number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be two.

Wards of the parish of Longridge

6.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Longridge shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into three parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 3; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule; and the number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be four.

Revocation

7.  The Borough of Ribble Valley (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976 is hereby revoked.

article 2

SCHEDULE 1NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLLORS

article 4

SCHEDULE 2WARDS OF THE PARISH OF BILLINGTON AND LANGHO NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLLORS

article 6

SCHEDULE 3WARDS OF THE PARISH OF LONGRIDGE NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England for electoral changes in the borough of Ribble Valley. The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after 1st May 2003.

Article 2 abolishes the existing wards of the borough and provides for the creation of 24 new wards. That article and Schedule 1 also make provision for the names and areas of, and numbers of councillors for, the new wards.

Article 3 makes provision for the election of all Councillors of the borough of Ribble Valley to take place in 2003 and every four years after that date.

Articles 4 to 6 make electoral changes in the parishes of Billington and Langho, Clitheroe and Longridge.

Article 7 revokes the Borough of Ribble Valley (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976.

The areas of the new borough wards are demarcated on the map described in article 1(3). Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of Ribble Valley Borough Council and at the offices of the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, 2nd Floor, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.