The District of Wyre Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2002

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the District of Wyre Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2002.

(2) This order, with the exception of article 7(2), shall come into force—

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 6th May 2004, on 15th October 2003;

(b) for all other purposes, on 6th May 2004.

(3) Article 7(2) shall come into force—

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of a parish councillor for the parishes of Bewdley, Chaddesley Corbett, Kidderminster Foreign, Rushock, Stone and Upper Arley to be held on 4th May 2006, on 15th October 2005;

(b) for all other purposes, on 4th May 2006.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order—

“district” means the district of Wyre Forest;

“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 referred to in the District of Wyre Forest (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 Wyre Forest District Council; and

any reference to a numbered sheet is a reference to the sheet of the map which bears that number.

Wards of the district of Wyre Forest

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

(2) The district shall be divided into seventeen 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 and parish wards 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 Wyre Forest

4.—(1) Elections of all councillors for all wards of the district shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004(2)(3).

(2) The councillors holding office for any ward of the district 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 district 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.

Wards of the parish of Bewdley

5.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Bewdley shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into three parish wards which shall bear the names Bewdley East, Bewdley West and Bewdley Wribbenhall; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 3 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for the Bewdley Wribbenhall parish ward shall be five and for each of the Bewdley East and Bewdley West parish wards shall be four.

Wards of the parish of Stourport-on-Severn

6.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Stourport-on-Severn shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into six parish wards which shall bear the names Stourport-on-Severn Areley Kings East, Stourport-on-Severn Areley Kings West, Stourport-on-Severn Central, Stourport-on-Severn Lickhill, Stourport-on-Severn North and Stourport-on-Severn Stour and Wilden; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 4 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each of the parish wards shall be three.

Parish Elections

7.—(1) Elections of all parish councillors for the parish of Rock shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 and every fourth year after 2004.

(2) Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Bewdley, Chaddesley Corbett, Kidderminster Foreign, Rushock, Stone and Upper Arley(4) shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2006 and every fourth year after 2006.

(3) The term of office of all parish councillors elected in accordance with any of paragraphs (1) and (2) above shall be four years; and they 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.

Maps

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

Electoral Registers

9.  The Electoral Registration Officer(5) 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.

Revocation

10.  The District of Wyre Forest (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978(6) is revoked, save for articles 8 and 9(8).

Signed by the members of the Electoral Commission

Pamela Gordon

Commissioner

2nd December 2002

Glyn Mathias

Commissioner

2nd December 2002

Neil McIntosh

Commissioner

2nd December 2002

Karamjit Singh

Commissioner

2nd December 2002

Sam Younger

Commissioner

2nd December 2002

Graham Zellick

Commissioner

2nd December 2002