Statutory Instruments

1998 No. 2463

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND AND WALES

The District of West Somerset (Electoral Changes) Order 1998

Made

5th October 1998

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)

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 dated November 1997 on its review of the district of West Somerset 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(2) 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 District of West Somerset (Electoral Changes) Order 1998.

(2) This Order shall come into force on 6th May 1999, except that for the purpose of all proceedings preliminary or relating to an election to be held on or after that date this Order shall come into force on 10th October 1998.

(3) In this Order—

“the district” means the district of West Somerset;

“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 of the Environment, Transport and the Regions marked “Map of the District of West Somerset (Electoral Changes) Order 1998”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994(3).

Wards of West Somerset

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

(2) The district shall be divided into eighteen wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of the Schedule.

(3) The wards shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of the Schedule by reference to parishes, or where no area is 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 the Schedule.

(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.

Minehead parish

3.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Minehead shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Alcombe East, Alcombe West, Minehead North and Minehead South and each parish ward shall comprise the area of the ward of the district bearing the same name.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each of the parish wards of Alcombe East and Alcombe West shall be three and for each of the parish wards of Minehead North and Minehead South shall be five.

Revocation

4.  — The District of West Somerset (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976 is hereby revoked.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State

Hilary Armstrong

Minister of State,Department of the Environment,Transport and the Regions

5th October 1998

Article 2

SCHEDULENAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS

(1)(2)(3)
Name of wardDescription of areaNumber of councillors
Alcombe East2
Alcombe West2
Aville ValeThe parishes of Cutcombe, Timberscombe and Wootton Courtenay1
Brompton Ralph and HaddonThe parishes of Brompton Ralph,Clatworthy, Elworthy, Huish Champflower, Skilgate and Upton1
Carhampton and WithycombeThe parishes of Carhampton and Withycombe1
Crowcombe and StogumberThe parishes of Crowcombe and Stogumber1
Dulverton and BrushfordThe parishes of Brushford and Dulverton2
DunsterThe parish of Dunster1
ExmoorThe parishes of Exford, Exmoor & Withypool and Hawkridge1
Minehead North3
Minehead South3
Old CleeveThe parishes of Luxborough, Old Cleeve, Monksilver, Nettlecombe and Treborough2
Porlock and DistrictThe parishes of Luccombe, MineheadWithout, Oare, Porlock and Selworthy2
Quantock ValeThe parishes of Holford, Kilve, Stogursey and Stringston2
QuarmeThe parishes of Brompton Regis, Exton and Winsford1
WatchetThe parish of Watchet3
West QuantockThe parishes of Bicknoller, EastQuantoxhead, Sampford Brett and West Quantoxhead1
WillitonThe parish of Williton2

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 district of West Somerset.

Article 2 abolishes all of the existing wards of the district and provides for the creation of 18 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 electoral changes in the parish of Minehead and for the number of councillors.

The areas of the new district and parish 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 West Somerset District Council and at the offices of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which are located at 2nd Floor, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.

(2)

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

(3)

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

(4)

See The District of West Somerset (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976 (S.I. 1976/812).