This Order gives effect, with one modification, to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England for electoral changes in the district of Herefordshire. The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after 1st May 2003.

The modification relates to the name of a ward. The Secretary of State has decided that the district ward for which the Commission suggested the name “Dinmore Hill” should be called “Wormsley Ridge.”

Article 2 abolishes the existing wards of the district and provides for the creation of 40 new wards. That article and Schedule 1 also make provision for the names and areas of, and numbers of councillors for, the new wards.

Article 3 provides for the election of all councillors of the district of Herefordshire to take place in 2003 and every 4 years after that year.

Article 4 to 10 make electoral changes in the parishes of Hereford, Ledbury, Leominster, Lower Bullingham, Ross-on-Wye, Ross Rural and Withington.

Article 11 revokes some provisions of the Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996 and the whole of the City of Hereford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1977, the District of Leominster (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978, the District of South Herefordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1977, the District of South Herefordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1991, the District of Malvern Hills (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976 and the District of Herefordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 1997.

The areas of the new district 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 Hereford Council and at the offices of the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, 2nd Floor, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.