2002 No. 2242

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND

The Borough of Halton (Electoral Changes) Order 2002

Made

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 19921, has submitted to the Secretary of State a report dated November 2001 on its review of the borough2 of Halton together with its recommendations:

And whereas the Electoral Commission3 have decided to give effect to those recommendations:

And whereas a period of not less than six weeks beginning with the submission of the report has expired:

Now, therefore, the Electoral Commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 174 and 265 of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Order:

Citation and commencement1

1

This Order may be cited as the Borough of Halton (Electoral Changes) Order 2002.

2

This Order shall come into force—

a

for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 6th May 20046, on 15th October 2003;

b

for all other purposes, on 6th May 2004.

Interpretation2

In this Order—

  • “borough” means the borough of Halton;

  • “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 marked “Map of the Borough of Halton (Electoral Changes) Order 2002”, of which prints are available for inspection at—

a

the principal office of the Electoral Commission; and

b

the offices of Halton Borough Council.

Wards of the borough of Halton3

1

The existing wards of the borough7 shall be abolished.

2

The borough shall be divided into twenty-one 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 Halton4

1

Elections of all councillors for all wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 200489.

2

The councillors holding office for any ward of the borough immediately before 10th May 2004 shall retire on that date and the newly-elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that date.

3

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

4

Where the number of councillors elected in 2004 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.

5

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.

6

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

7

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.

Maps5

Halton Borough Council shall make a print of the map marked “Map of the Borough of Halton (Electoral Changes) Order 2002” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.

Electoral registers6

The Electoral Registration Officer10 for the borough shall make such rearrangement of, or adaptation of, the register of local government electors as may be necessary for the purposes of, and in consequence of, this Order.

Revocation7

The Borough of Halton (Electoral Changes) Order 199711 is revoked, save for articles 3(1), 3(11) and 4(4).

Signed by the members of the Electoral Commission

Pamela GordonCommissioner
Glyn MathiasCommissioner
Neil McIntoshCommissioner
Karamjit SinghCommissioner
Sam YoungerCommissioner
Graham ZellickCommissioner

SCHEDULE 1NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS

article 3

(1)

(2)

(3)

Name of Ward

Area of Ward

Number of Councillors

Appleton

3

Beechwood

2

Birchfield

3

Broadheath

3

Castlefields

3

Daresbury

2

Ditton

3

Farnworth

3

Grange

3

Hale

Hale parish

1

Halton Brook

3

Halton Lea

3

Halton View

3

Heath

3

Hough Green

3

Kingsway

3

Mersey

3

Norton North

3

Norton South

3

Riverside

2

Windmill Hill

1

SCHEDULE 2ORDER OF RETIREMENT OF COUNCILLORS

article 4(3)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Name of Ward

Number of councillors to retire in 2006

Number of councillors to retire in 2007

Number of councillors to retire in 2008

Appleton

1

1

1

Beechwood

0

1

1

Birchfield

1

1

1

Broadheath

1

1

1

Castlefields

1

1

1

Daresbury

0

1

1

Ditton

1

1

1

Farnworth

1

1

1

Grange

1

1

1

Hale

1

0

0

Halton Brook

1

1

1

Halton Lea

1

1

1

Halton View

1

1

1

Heath

1

1

1

Hough Green

1

1

1

Kingsway

1

1

1

Mersey

1

1

1

Norton North

1

1

1

Norton South

1

1

1

Riverside

0

1

1

Windmill Hill

0

0

1

(This note is not part of the Order)

The Order gives effect to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England for electoral changes in the borough of Halton. The recommendations were submitted to the Secretary of State, but the functions of the Secretary of State under sections 13 to 15 and 17 of the Local Government Act 1992 so far as they relate to electoral changes were transferred with modifications to the Electoral Commission under the Local Government Commission for England (Transfer of Functions) Order 2001 (S.I.2001/3962), with effect from 1st April 2002. That Order provides that recommendations submitted to the Secretary of State before 1st April would have effect as if they had been submitted to the Electoral Commission.

The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after 6th May 2004.

Article 3 abolishes the existing wards of the borough and provides for the creation of 21 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 4 makes provision for a whole council election in 2004 and for reversion to the established system of elections by thirds in subsequent years.

Schedule 2 provides for the order of retirement of councillors.

Article 6 obliges the Electoral Registration Officer to make any necessary amendments to the electoral register to reflect the new electoral arrangements.

Article 7 revokes the Borough of Halton (Electoral Changes) Order 1997 (S.I.1997/779), with the exception of articles 3(1), 3(11) and 4(4).

The areas of the new borough wards are demarcated on the map described in article 2. Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of Halton Borough Council and at the principal office of the Electoral Commission at Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2HW.