2001 No. 1447

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND

The Borough of Stafford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001

Made10th April 2001

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 October 2000 on its review of the borough2 of Stafford 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 Stafford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001.

(2)

This Order shall come into force—

(a)

for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 1st May 2003, on 10th October 2002;

(b)

for all other purposes, on 1st May 2003.

(3)

In this Order—

“borough” means the borough of Stafford;

“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 prepared by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions marked “Map of the Borough of Stafford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 19944; 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 Stafford2.

(1)

The existing wards of the borough5 shall be abolished.

(2)

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

(3)

The wards shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of the Schedule by reference to parishes6 or, where an area is not 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 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 Stone3.

(1)

The existing wards of the parish of Stone shall be abolished.

(2)

The parish shall be divided into three parish wards which shall bear the names Stonefield and Christchurch, St. Michael’s and Walton; and each parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward bearing the same name.

(3)

The number of councillors to be elected for each of the Stonefield and Christchurch, and St. Michael’s parish wards shall be five, and for the Walton parish ward shall be eight.

Wards of the parish of Stone Rural4.

(1)

The existing wards of the parish of Stone Rural shall be abolished.

(2)

The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Aston, Meaford, Moddershall and Oulton; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 6 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3)

The number of councillors to be elected for the Aston, Meaford and Moddershall parish wards shall be two and for the Oulton parish ward shall be four.

Revocation5.

The Borough of Stafford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976 is hereby revoked.

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

Beverley Hughes

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

10th April 2001

SCHEDULENAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS

article 2

(1)	(2)	(3)
Name of Ward	Area of Ward	Number ofCouncillors
Barlaston and Oulton		2
Baswich		2
Chartley	The parishes of Gayton, Salt and Enson, Stowe-by-Chartley and Weston	1
Church Eaton	The parishes of Bradley, Church Eaton and Haughton	1
Common		2
Coton		2
Eccleshall	The parishes of Adbaston, Chebsey, Eccleshall and Standon	3
Forebridge		2
Fulford	The parish of Fulford	3
Gnosall and Woodseaves	The parishes of Forton, Gnosall, High Offley and Norbury	3
Haywood and Hixon	The parishes of Colwich and Hixon	3
Highfields and Western		3
Downs
Holmcroft		3
Littleworth		3
Manor		3
Milford	The parishes of Berkswich, Brocton, Hopton and Coton, Ingestre and Tixall	2
Milwich		1
Penkside		2
Rowley		2
St. Michael's		2
Seighford	The parishes of Creswell, Ellenhall, Hyde Lea, Marston, Ranton, Seighford and Whitgreave	2
Stonefield and Christchurch		2
Swynnerton	The parish of Swynnerton	2
Tillington		2
Walton		3
Weeping Cross		3

(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 Stafford. The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after 1st May 2003.

Article 2 abolishes the existing wards of the borough and provides for the creation of 26 new wards. That article and the Schedule also make provision for the names and areas of, and numbers of councillors for, the new wards.

Articles 3 and 4 make electoral changes in the parishes of Stone and Stone Rural.

Article 5 revokes the Borough of Stafford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976.

The areas of the new borough and parish 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 Stafford 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.