Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Borough of Dartford (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 Dartford;

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

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 Dartford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001”; and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994(1); and

• any reference to a numbered sheet is a reference to the sheet of the map which bears that number.

Wards of the borough of Dartford

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

(2) The borough shall be divided into seventeen 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 Dartford

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

(2) The term of office of councillors shall be four years; and all councillors shall retire on the fourth 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 Darenth

4.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Darenth shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into five parish wards which shall bear the names Darenth Park, Fleet Downs, Green Street Green, Ladywood and Lane End; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 3 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each of the Fleet Downs and Green Street Green parish wards shall be one, for the Darenth Park parish ward shall be two, and for each of the Ladywood and Lane End parish wards shall be four.

Wards of the parish of Stone

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

(2) The parish shall be divided into five parish wards which shall bear the names Castle, Horns Cross, Milestone, Stone Village and St Johns; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 3 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each of the Horns Cross, Milestone and Stone Village parish wards shall be two, and for each of the Castle and St Johns parish wards shall be three.

Wards of the parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe

6.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Galley Hill, Greenhithe, Knockhall and Swanscombe; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 3 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be five.

Wards of the parish of Wilmington

7.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Wilmington shall be abolished.

(2) The parish of Wilmington shall be divided into three 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.

Revocation

8.  The District of Dartford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975 is hereby revoked.