The Borough of Swindon (Electoral Changes) Order 1999

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Borough of Swindon (Electoral Changes) Order 1999.

(2) This Order shall come into force—

(a) for the purpose of all proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 4th May 2000, on 22nd October 1999;

(b) for all other purposes, on 4th May 2000.

(3) In this Order—

“the borough” means the borough of Swindon;

“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, Transport and the Regions marked “Map of the Borough of Swindon (Electoral Changes) Order 1999”, 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 Swindon

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

(2) The borough shall be divided into 22 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 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 that Schedule.

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

Elections of the council of Swindon

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 all wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2000(3).

(3) The councillors holding office for any ward in the borough immediately before 8th May 2000 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 2000 for any ward of the borough 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 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.

Wards of the parish of Blunsdon St Andrew

4.  The parish of Blunsdon St Andrew shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 3; 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.

Wards of the parish of Chiseldon

5.  The parish of Chiseldon shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 4; 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.

Wards of the parish of Haydon Wick

6.  The parish of Haydon Wick shall be divided into three parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 5; 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.

Wards of the parish of Stratton St Margaret

7.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Stratton St Margaret shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Coleview, Lower Coleview and Nythe, St Margaret and St Philip; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 4 by reference to the names of the wards and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for the St Philip parish ward shall be eight, for the St Margaret parish ward shall be seven and for each of the Coleview and Lower Coleview and Nythe parish wards shall be four.

Parish Elections

8.—(1) Elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Bishopstone, Covingham, Liddington and Wanborough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2000 and every fourth year after 2000.

(2) Elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Blunsdon St. Andrew, Castle Eaton, Hannington and Stanton Fitzwarren shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002 and every fourth year after 2002.

(3) Elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Chiseldon, Haydon Wick, Highworth, Stratton St Margaret and Wroughton shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003 and every fourth year after 2003.

(4) An election of parish councillors for the parish of South Marston shall be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2000; the term of office of the councillors elected on that day shall be two years; and elections of parish councillors for that parish shall be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002 and every fourth year after 2002.

(5) Except as otherwise provided in the foregoing paragraphs of this article, the term of office of parish councillors shall be four years and all parish councillors shall retire on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in the year of retirement and the newly elected parish councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

Revocation

9.  The Borough of Thamesdown (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975(4), the Borough of Thamesdown (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1986 and Part III of the Wiltshire (Borough of Thamesdown) (Structural Change) Order 1995(5) are hereby revoked.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Beverley Hughes

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

22nd October 1999