The Borough of Sefton (Electoral Changes) Order 2003

Statutory Instruments

2003 No. 1977

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND

The Borough of Sefton (Electoral Changes) Order 2003

Made

31st July 2003

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2) and 1(3)

Whereas the Boundary Committee for England(1), acting pursuant to section 15(4) of the Local Government Act 1992(2), has submitted to the Electoral Commission(3) recommendations dated March 2003 on its review of the borough(4) of Sefton:

And whereas the Electoral Commission have decided to give effect, with two modifications, to those recommendations:

And whereas a period of not less than six weeks has expired since the receipt of those recommendations:

Now, therefore, the Electoral Commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 17(5) and 26(6) of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Order:

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Borough of Sefton (Electoral Changes) Order 2003.

(2) This Order, with the exception of articles 5, 6, 7 and 8 shall come into force —

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

(b) for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of elections in 2004.

(3) Articles 5, 6, 7 and 8 shall come into force —

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of a parish councillor for the parishes of Maghull, Sefton, Aintree and Lydiate to be held on the ordinary day of elections in 2007, on 15th October 2006;

(b) for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of elections in 2007.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order —

“borough” means the borough of Sefton;

“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 marked “Map referred to in the Borough of Sefton (Electoral Changes) Order 2003”, of which prints are available for inspection at —

(a)

the principal office of the Electoral Commission; and

(b)

the offices of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council; and

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

Wards of the borough of Sefton

3.—(1) The existing wards of the borough(7) shall be abolished.

(2) The borough shall be divided into twenty-two wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of the Schedule.

(3) Each ward shall comprise 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 three.

(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 the borough of Sefton

4.—(1) Elections of all councillors for all wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004(8)(9).

(2) The councillors holding office for any ward of the borough immediately before the fourth day after the ordinary day of elections in 2004 shall retire on that day and the newly elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that day.

(3) Of the councillors elected in 2004, one shall retire in 2006, one in 2007 and one in 2008.

(4) Of the councillors elected in 2004 —

(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 Maghull

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

(2) The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Maghull East, Maghull North, Maghull South and Maghull West; 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 of Maghull East and Maghull North shall be five, for the parish ward of Maghull West shall be four and for the parish ward of Maghull South shall be two.

Wards of the parish of Sefton

6.—(1) The parish of Sefton shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names Sefton North and Sefton South, and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 4 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(2) The number of councillors to be elected for the parish ward of Sefton South shall be four, and for the parish ward of Sefton North shall be three.

Numbers of parish councillors of the parish of Aintree

7.  The number of parish councillors to be elected for the parish ward of Aintree South shall be seven, and for the parish ward of Aintree North shall be five.

Numbers of parish councillors of the parish of Lydiate

8.  The number of parish councillors to be elected for the parish ward of Lydiate West shall be four, for the parish ward of Lydiate South shall be three, and for the parish ward of Lydiate North shall be two.

Maps

9.  Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council shall make a print of the map marked “Map referred to in the Borough of Sefton (Electoral Changes) Order 2003” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.

Electoral registers

10.  The Electoral Registration Officer(10) 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.

Revocation

11.  The Borough of Sefton (Electoral Changes) Order 1999(11) is revoked, save for articles 3(1) and 3(9).

Sealed with the seal of the Electoral Commission on the 31st day of July 2003

L.S.

Sam Younger

Chairman of the Commission

31st July 2003

Jacqui Dixon

Secretary to the Commission

31st July 2003

article 3

SCHEDULE NAMES OF WARDS

Name of Ward
Ainsdale
Birkdale
Blundellsands
Cambridge
Church
Derby
Duke's
Ford
Harington
Kew
Linacre
Litherland
Manor
Meols
Molyneux
Netherton and Orrell
Norwood
Park
Ravenmeols
St Oswald
Sudell
Victoria

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect, with two modifications, to recommendations by the Boundary Committee for England, a committee of the Electoral Commission, for electoral changes in the borough of Sefton.

The modifications relate to the boundary between Park and Manor wards, creating two wards of Sefton parish (Sefton North and Sefton South parish wards), and to the external boundary of Derby ward with the City of Liverpool. (This boundary was altered by the Cheshire and Merseyside (County and Metropolitan Boundaries) Order 1993, but was shown in map referred to in the Boundary Committee recommendations as if that Order had not been made).

The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after the ordinary day of elections in 2004.

Article 3 abolishes the existing wards of the borough and provides for the creation of 22 new wards. That article and Schedule 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 election by thirds in subsequent years.

Articles 5 to 8 make electoral changes in the parishes of Maghull, Sefton, Aintree and Lydiate.

Article 10 obliges the Electoral Registration Officer to make any necessary amendments to the electoral register to reflect the new electoral arrangements.

Article 11 revokes the Borough of Sefton (Electoral Changes) Order 1999, with the exception of articles 3(1) and 3(9).

The areas of the new borough and parish 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 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council and at the principal office of the Electoral Commission at Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2HW.

(1)

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.

(2)

1992 c. 19. This section has been amended by S.I. 2001/3962.

(3)

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 (c. 19), 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).

(4)

The metropolitan district of Sefton has the status of a borough.

(5)

This section has been amended by S.I. 2001/3962 and also otherwise in ways not relevant to this Order.

(6)

This section has been amended by S.I. 2001/3962.

(7)

See the Borough of Sefton (Electoral Changes) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2782).

(8)

Article 4 provides for a single election of all the councillors and for reversion to the system of election by thirds, as established by section 7 of the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70).

(9)

For the ordinary day of election of councillors of local government areas, see section 37 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2), amended by section 18(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50) and section 17 of, and paragraphs 1 and 5 of Schedule 3 to, the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (c. 29).

(10)

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).

(11)

S.I. 1999/2782.