Name, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order is called the County Borough of Torfaen (Electoral Changes) Order 2002.

(2) This Order will come into force:

(a)for the purposes of proceedings, preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 6th May 2004, on the 9th October 2003, and

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

(3) In this Order —

• “the Act” (“y Ddeddf”) means the Local Government Act 1972;

• “electoral division” (“adran etholiadol”) means an electoral division of the County Borough of Torfaen as constituted by the County Borough of Torfaen Electoral Arrangements Order 1994(2);

Electoral Divisions

2.—(1) The existing electoral divisions of the County Borough of Torfaen specified in the Schedule to the County Borough of Torfaen Electoral Arrangements Order 1994 are abolished.

(2) For the purposes of the elections of councillors for the county borough of Torfaen, that county borough shall be divided into 24 electoral divisions bearing the names specified in column (1) of the Schedule to this Order, and each such electoral division shall comprise the area specified in column (2) of that Schedule.

(3) The number of councillors to be returned for each such electoral division shall be the number specified in relation to the division in column (3) of the Schedule to this Order.

Register of Local Government Electors

3.  The registration officer shall make such re-arrangements or adaptation of the register of local government electors as may be necessary due to the coming into force of this Order.

Article 2

SCHEDULENames, areas and numbers of councillors for the electoral divisions of the county borough of Torfaen

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

The Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales was required by section 64(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as substituted by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994) to review electoral arrangements as soon as possible after the first elections to unitary authorities in May 1995.

This Order gives effect (with some modifications) to the proposals made in the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales' report of October 1999 for the County Borough of Torfaen.

Although the Order abolishes all existing electoral divisions within the County Borough and replaces them with new electoral divisions, in practice the majority will remain the same.

There is no change to the divisions of Abersychan, Blaenavon, Brynwern, Coed Eva, Croesyceiliog North, Croesyceiliog South, Cwmyniscoy, Fairwater, Greenmeadow, Llantarnam, Llanyrafon North, Llanyrafon South, Panteg, Pontnewydd, Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, Snatchwood, St. Cadocs and Penygarn, St. Dials, Trevethin, Two Locks, Upper Cwmbran, Wainfelin.

The existing divisions of New Inn Lower and New Inn Upper however shall be combined to form the electoral division of New Inn. It will consist of the Community of New Inn and be represented by three councillors.