The Borough of Thurrock (Electoral Changes) Order 1997

Statutory Instruments

1997 No. 775

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND AND WALES

The Borough of Thurrock (Electoral Changes) Order 1997

Made

21st February 1997

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(1)

Whereas the Local Government Commission for England, acting pursuant to section 15(4) of the Local Government Act 1992(1), has submitted to the Secretary of State a report on its review of the borough of Thurrock(2) together with its recommendations:

And whereas the Secretary of State has decided to give effect to those recommendations:

Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 17(3) and 26 of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Borough of Thurrock (Electoral Changes) Order 1997 and shall come into force on 1st May 1997 except that, for the purpose of all proceedings preliminary or relating to an election to be held on or after that date, it shall come into force on the day after the day on which it is made.

(2) In this Order—

“the borough” means the borough of Thurrock;

“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 of the Environment, marked “Map of the Borough of Thurrock (Electoral Changes) Order 1997”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994(4).

Wards of Thurrock

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

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

(3) Each ward shall comprise the area designated on the map by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by red lines.

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

Elections of the council of Thurrock

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

(2) Elections of all councillors for wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 1997(6).

(3) The councillors holding office for any ward in the borough immediately before 5th May 1997 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors for any such ward 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 1997 for any ward of the borough is two, the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (7) and (8) below, be the councillor elected by the smaller number of votes.

(6) Where the number of councillors elected in 1997 for any ward of the borough is three—

(a) the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (7) and (8) below, 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.

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

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

(9) 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.

(10) In each year in which a councillor for a ward in the borough retires in accordance with paragraphs (5) to (8) above an election of a councillor for that ward shall be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in that year; and the term of office of councillors elected at such an election shall be three years.

(11) Except as otherwise provided in the foregoing 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.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State

David Curry

Minister of State,

Department of the Environment

21st February 1997

Article 2

SCHEDULE 1 NAMES OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS

(1)	(2)
Name of ward	Number of councillors
Aveley	3
Belhus	3
Chadwell St. Mary	3
Chafford Hundred	2
Corringham and Fobbing	2
Corringham West	2
East Tilbury	2
Grays Riverside	3
Grays Thurrock	3
Little Thurrock Blackshots	2
Little Thurrock Rectory	2
Ockendon	3
Orsett	2
Stanford-le-Hope East	2
Stanford-le-Hope West	2
Stifford	3
The Homesteads	3
Tilbury Riverside	2
Tilbury St. Chads	2
West Thurrock	3

Article 3

SCHEDULE 2 ORDER OF RETIREMENT OF COUNCILLORS

Name of ward	Number of councillors to retire in 1999	Number of councillors to retire in 2000	Number of councillors to retire in 2001
Aveley	1	1	1
Belhus	1	1	1
Chadwell St. Mary	1	1	1
Chafford Hundred	1	0	1
Corringham and Fobbing	0	1	1
Corringham West	1	0	1
East Tilbury	1	1	0
Grays Riverside	1	1	1
Grays Thurrock	1	1	1
Little Thurrock Blackshots	0	1	1
Little Thurrock Rectory	0	1	1
Ockendon	1	1	1
Orsett	0	1	1
Stanford-le-Hope East	1	1	0
Stanford-le-Hope West	1	0	1
Stifford	1	1	1
The Homesteads	1	1	1
Tilbury Riverside	1	0	1
Tilbury St. Chads	1	1	0
West Thurrock	1	1	1

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 Thurrock. All of the existing wards of the borough are abolished and 20 new wards are created, having the names set out, and the number of councillors given, in Schedule 1. The areas of the new wards are demarcated on the map described in article 1(2). Provision is made for a whole council election in 1997 and for elections by thirds in subsequent years. Schedule 2 provides for the order of retirement of councillors.

Prints of the map described in article 1(2) may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of the Thurrock Borough Council and at the offices of the Secretary of State for the Environment which, until May 1997, are located at 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3EB and, thereafter, at 2nd Floor, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E.

(1)

1992 c. 19.

(2)

The non-metropolitan district of Thurrock has the status of a borough.

(3)

Section 17 is amended by section 39(4) and (5) of the Police and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1994 (c. 29).

(4)

S.I. 1994/867, to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.

(5)

see The Borough of Thurrock (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976 (S.I. 1976/1550); amended by article 8 of S.I. 1996/1875.

(6)

For the ordinary day of election of councillors of local government areas, see section 37 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2), amended by section 18(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50).