2002 No. 2243
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND
The District of West Berkshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2002
Made 29th August 2002
Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)

Whereas the Boundary Committee for England, acting pursuant to section 15(4) of the Local Government Act 1992, has submitted to the Electoral Commission a report dated April 2002 on its review of the district of West Berkshire together with its recommendations:
The Boundary Committee for England is a committee of the Electoral Commission, established by the Electoral Commission in accordance with section 14 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41). The Local Government Commission for England (Transfer of Functions) Order 2001 (S.I.2001/3962) transferred to the Electoral Commission the functions of the Local Government Commission for England.
1992 c. 19. This section has been amended by S.I.2001/3962.
The Electoral Commission was established by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41). The functions of the Secretary of State, under sections 13 to 15 and 17 of the Local Government Act 1992, to the extent that they relate to electoral changes within the meaning of that Act, were transferred with modifications to the Electoral Commission on 1st April 2002 (S.I.2001/3962).
And whereas a period of not less than six weeks has expired since the receipt of those recommendations:
And whereas the Electoral Commission have decided to give effect, with one modification, to those recommendations:
Now, therefore, the Electoral Commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 17 and 26 of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Order:
This section has been amended by S.I.2001/3962. There are amendments to this section that are not relevant to this Order.
This section has been amended by S.I.2001/3962.

1 Citation and commencement
1 This Order may be cited as the District of West Berkshire (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 1st May 2003, on 15th October 2002;
(b) for all other purposes, on 1st May 2003.

2 Interpretation
In this Order—
“district” means the district of West Berkshire;
“existing”, in relation to a ward, means the ward as it exists on the date this Order is made; and
any reference to a map is a reference to the map marked “Map referred to in the District of West Berkshire (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 West Berkshire District Council.

3 Wards of the district of West Berkshire
1 The existing wards of the district shall be abolished.
See article 9 of the Berkshire (Structural Change) Order 1996 (S.I.1996/1879), and the West Berkshire (Parishes) Order 1999 (S.I.1999/3364). The name of the district was changed from Newbury to West Berkshire on 1st April 1998.
2 The district shall be divided into thirty 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.

4 Wards of the parish of Cold Ash
The parish of Cold Ash shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 2; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district 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.

5 Wards of the parish of Newbury
1 The existing wards of the parish of Newbury shall be abolished.
2 The parish shall be divided into seven parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 3; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district 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.

6 Wards of the parish of Thatcham
1 The existing wards of the parish of Thatcham shall be abolished.
2 The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Thatcham Central, Thatcham North, Thatcham West, and Thatcham South and Crookham; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district ward bearing the same name.
3 The number of councillors to be elected for each of the Thatcham Central, Thatcham North and Thatcham West parish wards shall be four and for the Thatcham South and Crookham parish ward shall be six.

7 Wards of the parish of Tilehurst
1 The existing wards of the parish of Tilehurst shall be abolished.
2 The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 4; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district 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.

8 Maps
The West Berkshire District Council shall make a print of the map marked “Map referred to in the District of West Berkshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2002” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.

9 Electoral registers
The Electoral Registration Officer for the district 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.
As to electoral registration officers and the register of local government electors, see sections 8 to 13 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2).

10 Revocation
Articles 9(1), 9(2), 9(3) and 9(7) of the Berkshire (Structural Change) Order 1996 are revoked.
S.I.1996/1879.
Signed by the members of the Electoral Commission
Pamela Gordon Commissioner 29th August 2002
Glyn Mathias Commissioner 13th August 2002
Neil McIntosh Commissioner 7th August 2002
Karamjit Singh Commissioner 7th August 2002
Sam Younger Commissioner 7th August 2002
Graham Zellick Commissioner 15th August 2002

SCHEDULE 1 NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS
article 3
(1)	(2)	(3)
Name of Ward	Area of Ward	Number of Councillors
Aldermaston	The parishes of Aldermaston, Brimpton, Midgham, Wasing and Woolhampton	1
Basildon	The parishes of Aldworth, Basildon and Streatley	1
Birch Copse		3
Bucklebury	The parishes of Bradfield, Bucklebury, Frilsham, Hermitage and Stanford Dingley	2
Burghfield	The parish of Burghfield	2
Calcot		3
Chieveley	The parish of Chieveley	1
Clay Hill		2
Cold Ash		1
Compton	The parishes of Ashampstead, Compton, Hampstead Norreys and Yattendon	1
Downlands	The parishes of Beedon, Brightwalton, Catmore, Chaddleworth, East Ilsley, Farnborough, Fawley, Leckhampstead, Peasemore and West Ilsley	1
Falkland		2
Greenham		2
Hungerford	The parish of Hungerford	2
Kintbury	The parishes of Combe, Enborne, Hampstead Marshall, Inkpen, Kintbury, Welford and West Woodhay	2
Lambourn Valley	The parishes of East Garston, Great Shefford and Lambourn	2
Mortimer	The parishes of Beech Hill, Padworth, Stratfield Mortimer, Ufton Nervet and Wokefield	2
Northcroft		2
Pangbourne	The parish of Pangbourne	1
Purley on Thames		2
St Johns		2
Speen		2
Sulhamstead	The parishes of Beenham, Englefield and Sulhamstead	1
Thatcham Central		2
Thatcham North		2
Thatcham South and Crookham		2
Thatcham West		2
Theale	The parish of Theale	1
Victoria		2
Westwood		1

SCHEDULE 2 WARDS OF THE PARISH OF COLD ASH
NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS
article 4
(1)	(2)	(3)
Name of Ward	Area of Ward	Number of Councillors
Cold Ash	The district ward of Cold Ash	9
Manor Park and Manor Fields	So much of the district ward of Clay Hill as comprises part of the parish of Cold Ash	2

SCHEDULE 3 WARDS OF THE PARISH OF NEWBURY
NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS
article 5
(1)	(2)	(3)
Name of Ward	Area of Ward	Number of Councillors
Brummell Grove	So much of the district ward of Speen as comprises part of the parish of Newbury	1
Clay Hill	So much of the district ward of Clay Hill as comprises part of the parish of Newbury	4
Falkland	The district ward of Falkland	4
Northcroft	The district ward of Northcroft	4
Pyle Hill	So much of the district ward of Greenham as comprises part of the parish of Newbury	2
St Johns	The district ward of St Johns	4
Victoria	The district ward of Victoria	4

SCHEDULE 4 WARDS OF THE PARISH OF TILEHURST
NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS
article 7
(1)	(2)	(3)
Name of Ward	Area of Ward	Number of Councillors
Birch Copse	The district ward of Birch Copse	12
Calcot	So much of the district ward of Calcot as comprises part of the parish of Tilehurst	2
Denefield	So much of the district ward of Purley on Thames as comprises part of the parish of Tilehurst	3
Westwood	The district ward of Westwood	4

(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order gives effect, with one modification, to recommendations by the Boundary Committee for England, a committee of the Electoral Commission, for electoral changes in the district of West Berkshire. The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after 1st May 2003.
The modification relates to the amendment of the boundary between the Birch Copse and Purley on Thames district wards.
Article 3 abolishes the existing wards of the district and provides for the creation of 30 new wards. That article and Schedule 1 also make provision for the names and areas of, and numbers of councillors for, the new wards.
Articles 4 to 7 make electoral changes in the parishes of Cold Ash, Newbury, Thatcham and Tilehurst.
Article 9 obliges the Electoral Registration Officer to make any necessary amendments to the electoral register to reflect the new electoral arrangements.
Article 10 revokes articles 9(1), 9(2), 9(3) and 9(7) of the Berkshire (Structural Change) Order 1996 (S.I.1996/1879).
The areas of the new district 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 West Berkshire District Council and at the principal office of the Electoral Commission, Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2HW.