The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 1998

This Order may be cited as the District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 1998.

This Order shall come into force for the purposes of articles 2, 3, 5, 8 and 9 on 6th May 1999, except that for the purpose of all proceedings preliminary or relating to an election to be held on or after that date this Order shall come into force on the day after that on which it is made.

For the purposes of articles 4 and 6 this Order shall come into force on 2nd May 2002, except that for the purpose of all proceedings preliminary or relating to an election of a parish councillor of the parishes of Codicote and Royston to be held on or after that date this Order shall come into force on 10th October 2001.

For the purposes of article 7 this Order shall come into force on 4th May 2000, except that for the purpose of all proceedings preliminary or relating to an election of a parish councillor of the parish of St Ippolyts to be held on or after that date this Order shall come into force on 10th October 1999.

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

The wards shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of that Schedule by reference to parishes, or parishes and parish wards, or, where no area is 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.

Where a boundary is shown on the map as running along a road, railway line, footway, waterway or other similar geographical feature, it shall be treated as running along the centre line of the feature.

Subject to the following provisions of this article, the election of councillors for wards of the district shall be by thirds.

The councillors holding office for any ward in the district immediately before 10th May 1999 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors for any such ward shall come into office on that date.

The order of retirement of councillors shall be as set out in Schedule 2.

Where the number of councillors elected in 1999 for any ward of the district is two, the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (7) and (8) below, be the councillor elected by the smaller number of votes.

In the case of an equality of votes between any persons elected which makes it uncertain which of them is to retire in any such year, the person to retire in that year shall be determined by lot.

If an election of councillors for any ward is not contested, the person to retire in each such year shall be determined by lot.

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.

Except as otherwise provided in the foregoing paragraphs of this article, the term of office of councillors shall be four years and all councillors 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.

The parish shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names Breachwood Green and Kings Walden and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 5 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

The number of councillors to be elected for the Breachwood Green parish ward shall be six and for the Kings Walden parish ward shall be two.

The ordinary election of parish councillors for the parish of St Paul’s Walden in 1999 shall not take place; and any such parish councillor holding office immediately before 10th May 1999 who would, but for this paragraph, have retired on that date shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until 8th May 2000.

Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Graveley, Holwell, Ickleford, Weston and Wymondley shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 1999 and every fourth year after 1999.

The elections of parish councillors for the parish of St Ippolyts shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2000 and every fourth year after 2000.

Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Codicote, Kimpton, Knebworth and Royston shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002 and every fourth year after 2002.

Except as otherwise provided in the foregoing paragraphs of this article, the term of office of parish councillors shall be four years and all parish councillors shall retire on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in the year of retirement and the newly elected parish councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.