The County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2004

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2004.

(2) This Order, with the exception of articles 4, 5 and 6, shall come into force –

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2005, on the day after that on which it is made;

(b) for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2005.

(3) Articles 4 and 5 shall come into force –

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of a parish councillor for the parishes of Biddenham and Kempston to be held on the ordinary day of elections in 2006, on 15th October 2005;

(b) for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of elections in 2006.

(4) Article 6 shall come into force –

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of a parish councillor for the parish of Sandy 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 –

“county” means the county of Bedfordshire;

“existing”, in relation to an electoral division or ward, means the electoral division or ward as it exists on the date this Order is made;

references to wards, unless the context otherwise requires, are references to district and borough wards in the county(1);

any reference to the map is a reference to the map marked “Map referred to in the County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2004”, of which prints are available for inspection at –

(a)

the principal office of the Electoral Commission; and

(b)

the offices of Bedfordshire County Council; and

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

Electoral divisions of the county of Bedfordshire

3.—(1) The existing electoral divisions of the county(2) shall be abolished.

(2) The county shall be divided into forty-six electoral divisions which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of the Schedule.

(3) The electoral divisions shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of the Schedule by reference to wards, parishes, or parish wards or, where an area is not so described, the area designated on the map by reference to the name of the electoral division and demarcated by red lines; and the number of councillors to be elected for each electoral division shall be the number specified in respect of the electoral division in column (3) of the 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.

Wards of the parish of Biddenham

4.—(1) The parish of Biddenham shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names Biddenham North and Biddenham South; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 2 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

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

Wards of the parish of Kempston

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

(2) The parish shall be divided into five parish wards which shall bear the names Ampthill Road, East, North, South and West; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 2 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 East and South parish wards shall be four, for the North parish ward shall be three and for each of the Ampthill Road and West parish wards shall be one.

Wards of the parish of Sandy

6.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Sandy shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Beeston, Fallowfield, Ivel and Pinnacle; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 2 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for the Pinnacle parish ward shall be six, for the Ivel parish ward shall be five, for the Fallowfield parish ward shall be three and for the Beeston parish ward shall be one.

Maps

7.  Bedfordshire County Council shall make a print of the map marked “Map referred to in the County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2004” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.

Electoral registers

8.  The Electoral Registration Officer(3) for each district or borough in the county 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

9.  The County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1985(4) is revoked, save for article 5.

Sealed with the seal of the Electoral Commission on the 9th day of December 2004

L.S.

Sam Younger

Chairman of the Commission

9th December 2004

Jacqui Dixon

Secretary to the Commission

9th December 2004