19.—(1) Notwithstanding section 7(8) and (9) of the 1972 Act (elections of councillors)—
(a)ordinary elections are not to be held in 2020 for the return of councillors to any of the North Northamptonshire councils or the West Northamptonshire councils M1; and
(b)the term of office of councillors serving as councillors of any of those councils ends on 1st April 2021.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), nothing in section 89 of the 1972 Act (filling of casual vacancies in case of councillors) authorises the holding of an election to fill a casual vacancy in the office of councillor of any of the North Northamptonshire councils or the West Northamptonshire councils where that vacancy arises after 30th September 2020 and before 1st April 2021.
(3) Where, on the occurrence of a vacancy mentioned in paragraph (2) or in the case of a number of simultaneous vacancies, the total number of unfilled vacancies in the membership of one of the North Northamptonshire councils or one of the West Northamptonshire councils (as the case may be) exceeds one third of the whole number of members of that council an election to fill the vacancy shall be held in accordance with section 89 of the 1972 Act.
(4) Where, in the circumstances mentioned in paragraph (3), the declaration mentioned in section 89(1)(a) of the 1972 Act has been made or the notice in writing mentioned in section 89(1)(b) of the 1972 Act has been given within thirty-five days of 1st April 2021 (computed in accordance with section 243(4) of the 1972 Act) an election shall not be held and any proceedings required by the Local Elections (Principal Areas) (England and Wales) Rules 2006 M2 shall not be commenced.
Commencement Information
I1Art. 19 in force at 14.2.2020, see art. 1
Marginal Citations
M1The Northamptonshire (Changes to Years of Elections) Order 2018 S.I. 2018/1324 changed the year of elections of the districts within Northamptonshire from 2019 to 2020.