1999 No. 2478

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND

The Borough of Runnymede (Electoral Changes) Order 1999

Made

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)

Whereas the Local Government Commission for England, acting pursuant to section 15(4) of the Local Government Act 19921, has submitted to the Secretary of State a report dated September 1998 on its review of the borough of Runnymede2 together with its recommendations:

And whereas the Secretary of State has decided to give effect to those recommendations:

Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 173 and 26 of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:

Citation, commencement and interpretation1

1

This Order may be cited as the Borough of Runnymede (Electoral Changes) Order 1999.

2

This Order shall come into force—

a

for the purposes of all proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 4th May 2000, on 10th October 1999;

b

for all other purposes, on 4th May 2000.

3

In this Order—

  • “the borough” means the borough of Runnymede;

  • “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 prepared by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions marked “Map of the Borough of Runnymede (Electoral Changes) Order 1999”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 19944.

Wards of Runnymede2

1

The existing wards of the borough5 shall be abolished.

2

The borough shall be divided into fourteen wards which shall bear the names:

  • Addlestone Bourneside

  • Addlestone North

  • Chertsey Meads

  • Chertsey St Ann's

  • Chertsey South and Row Town

  • Egham Hythe

  • Egham Town

  • Englefield Green East

  • Englefield Green West

  • Foxhills

  • New Haw

  • Thorpe

  • Virginia Water

  • Woodham.

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, waterway or similar geographical feature, it shall be treated as running along the centre line of the feature.

Elections of the council of Runnymede3

1

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

2

Elections of all councillors for all wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 20006.

3

The councillors holding office for any ward of the borough immediately before 8th May 2000 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that date.

4

Of the councillors elected in 2000 for any ward:

a

the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), be the councillor elected by the smallest number of votes; and he shall retire in 2002;

b

the second to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), be the councillor elected by the next smallest number of votes; and he shall retire in 2003;

c

the third councillor shall retire in 2004.

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 such 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 such 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.

8

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.

Revocation4

The District of Runnymede (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975 is hereby revoked.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Beverley HughesParliamentary Under Secretary of State,Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England for electoral changes in the borough of Runnymede.

Article 2 abolishes the existing wards of the borough and provides for the creation of 14 new wards. That article also makes provision for the names and areas of, and numbers of councillors for, the new wards.

Article 3 makes provision for a whole council election in Runnymede in 2000 and reversion to elections by thirds in subsequent years.

Article 4 revokes the District of Runnymede (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975.

The areas of the new borough wards are demarcated on the map described in article 1(3). Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of the Runnymede Borough Council and at the offices of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 2nd Floor, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.