Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the District of South Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2001.

(2) This article and articles 2, 3, 8 and 9 shall come into force—

(a)for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 2nd May 2002, on the day after that on which it is made;

(b)for all other purposes, on 2nd May 2002.

(3) Articles 6 and 7 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.

(4) Articles 4 and 5 shall come into force—

(a)for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 6th May 2004, on 15th October 2003;

(b)for all other purposes, on 6th May 2004.

(5) In this Order—

“district” means the district of South Bedfordshire;

“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 District of South Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2001”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994(3).

Wards of the district of South Bedfordshire

2.—(1) The existing wards of the district(4) shall be abolished.

(2) The district shall be divided into twenty-three 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 South Bedfordshire

3.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this article, the election of councillors for wards of the district shall be by thirds.

(2) Elections of all councillors for all wards of the district shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002(5).

(3) The councillors holding office for any ward of the district immediately before 6th May 2002 shall retire on that date and the newly-elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that date.

(4) The order of retirement of councillors shall be as set out in Schedule 2.

(5) Where the number of councillors elected in 2002 for any ward of the district is two or more—

(a)the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (6) and (7), be the councillor elected by the smallest number of votes; and

(b)the second to retire shall, subject to those paragraphs, be the councillor elected by the next smallest number of votes.

(6) In the case of an equality of votes between any persons elected which makes it uncertain which of them is to retire in any year, the person to retire in that year shall be determined by lot.

(7) If an election of councillors for any ward is not contested, the person to retire in each year shall be determined by lot.

(8) Where under this article any question is to be determined by lot, the lot shall be drawn at the next practicable meeting of the council after the question has arisen and the drawing shall be conducted under the direction of the person presiding at the meeting.

(9) Except as otherwise provided in the preceding paragraphs of this article, 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 Great Billington

4.  The parish of Great Billington shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 3; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district 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 seven.

Wards of the parish of Dunstable

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

(2) The parish shall be divided into six parish wards which shall bear the names Chiltern, Dunstable Central, Icknield, Manshead, Northfields and Watling; and each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district ward bearing the same name.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each of the Chiltern, Dunstable Central and Manshead parish wards shall be three and for each of the Icknield, Northfields and Watling parish wards shall be four.

Wards of the Parish of Houghton Regis

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

(2) The parish shall be divided into three parish wards which shall bear the names Houghton Hall, Parkside and Tithe Farm; and each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district ward bearing the same name.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each of the Parkside and Tithe Farm parish wards shall be four and for the Houghton Hall parish ward shall be six.

Wards of the parish of Leighton-Linslade

7.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Leighton-Linslade shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into six parish wards which shall bear the names All Saints, Grovebury, Linslade, Planets, Plantation and Southcott; the parish wards of All Saints, Linslade, Planets, Plantation and Southcott shall be coterminous with the district wards of the same name, and the Grovebury parish ward shall consist of the rest of the parish.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each of the All Saints, Grovebury, Linslade and Planets parish wards shall be three, and for the Plantation and Southcott parish wards shall be four.

Parish Elections

8.—(1) Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Caddington, Eaton Bray and Hyde shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002 and every fourth year after 2002.

(2) Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Chalgrave and Eggington shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002, 2004 and every fourth year after 2004.

(3) The ordinary elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Hockliffe, Studham and Whipsnade in 2002 shall not take place; and any such parish councillor holding office immediately before 6th May 2002 who would, but for this paragraph, have retired on that date shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003.

(4) Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Great Billington, Chalton, Stanbridge, Streatley, Sundon, Tilsworth, Toddington and Totternhoe shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 and every fourth year after 2004.

(5) The ordinary elections of parish councillors for the parish of Slip End in 2005 shall not take place; and any such parish councillor holding office immediately before 5th May 2005 who would, but for this paragraph, have retired on that date shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2006.

(6) Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Hockliffe, Studham and Whipsnade shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003 and every fourth year after 2003.

(7) Elections of all parish councillors for the parish of Slip End shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2006 and every fourth year after 2006.

(8) The term of office of every councillor elected, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (2), in 2002, shall be two years; and each such councillor shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004.

(9) The term of office of parish councillors elected in accordance with any of paragraphs (1), (4), (6) and (7) above shall be four years; and they 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.

(10) Rule 8 of the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 1986(6) (filling of casual vacancies) shall have effect, in the case of a casual vacancy occurring before 5th May 2003 in the office of a parish councillor for the parishes of Hockliffe, Studham and Whipsnade as if the references in paragraphs (1) and (4) of that rule to the day on which that councillor would regularly have retired were a reference to 5th May 2003.

(11) Rule 8 of the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 1986 (filling of casual vacancies) shall have effect, in the case of a casual vacancy occurring before 8th May 2006 in the office of a parish councillor for the parish of Slip End as if the references in paragraphs (1) and (4) of that rule to the day on which that councillor would regularly have retired were a reference to 8th May 2006.

Revocation

9.  The District of South Bedfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975 is hereby revoked.

Article 2

SCHEDULE 1NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS

Article 3(4)

SCHEDULE 2ORDER OF RETIREMENT OF COUNCILLORS

Article 4

SCHEDULE 3WARDS OF THE PARISH OF GREAT BILLINGTON NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect, subject to modifications, to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England for electoral changes in the district of South Bedfordshire. The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after 2nd May 2002.

The modifications relate to a ward name change and the number of parish councillors for the parish of Great Billington. The Secretary of State has decided that the ward name “Caddington and Slip End” recommended by the Local Government Commission be changed to “Caddington, Hyde and Slip End”. The Secretary of State has also decided the parish of Great Billington should have 14 parish councillors instead of 10.

Article 2 abolishes the existing wards of the district and provides for the creation of 23 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 a whole council election in 2002 and for reversion to elections by thirds in subsequent years. Schedule 2 regulates the order of retirement of councillors.

Articles 4 to 7 makes electoral changes in the parishes of Great Billington, Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton-Linslade.

Article 8 provides for elections of parish councillors for parishes of the district.

Article 9 revokes the District of South Bedfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975.

The areas of the new district 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 South Bedfordshire District 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.