2002 No. 2237
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND

The Borough of Warrington (Electoral Changes) Order 2002

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 November 2001 on its review of the borough2 of Warrington together with its recommendations:
And whereas the Electoral Commission3 have decided to give effect to those recommendations:

And whereas a period of not less than six weeks beginning with the submission of the report has expired:

Now, therefore, the Electoral Commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 174 and 265 of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Order:

Citation and commencement1.

(1)

This Order may be cited as the Borough of Warrington (Electoral Changes) Order 2002.

(2)

This Order shall come into force—

(a)

for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 6th May 20046, on 15th October 2003;

(b)

for all other purposes, on 6th May 2004.

Interpretation2.

In this Order—

“borough” means the borough of Warrington;

“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 marked “Map of the Borough of Warrington (Electoral Changes) Order 2002”, of which prints are available for inspection at—

(a)

the principal office of the Electoral Commission; and

(b)

the offices of Warrington Borough Council; 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 Warrington3.

(1)

The existing wards of the borough7 shall be abolished.

(2)

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

(3)

The wards shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of that Schedule by reference to parishes or parish wards, 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 that 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.

Elections of the council of Warrington4.

(1)

Elections of all councillors for all wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 200489.

(2)

The councillors holding office for any ward of the borough immediately before 6th May 2004 shall retire on that date and the newly-elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that date.

(3)

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

(4)

Where the number of councillors elected in 2004 for any ward of the borough is two or more—

(a)

the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (6) and (7), be the councillor elected by the smallest number of votes; and

(b)

the second to retire shall, subject to those paragraphs, be the councillor elected by the next smallest number of votes.

(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 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 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.

Wards of the parish of Burtonwood5.

(1)

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

(2)

The parish shall be divided into five parish wards which shall bear the names Callands, East, Old Hall, West and Westbrook; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 3 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3)

The number of councillors to be elected for the Callands parish ward shall be five, for the Westbrook parish ward shall be four, for each of the East and West parish wards shall be three, and for the Old Hall parish ward shall be one.

Wards of the parish of Poulton-with-Fearnhead6.

(1)

The existing wards of the parish of Poulton-with-Fearnhead shall be abolished.

(2)

The parish shall be divided into six parish wards which shall bear the names Brook Acre, Bruche, Cinnamon Brow, Fearnhead, Longbarn and St Oswalds; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 4 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3)

The number of councillors to be elected for the Bruche parish ward shall be four, for each of the Cinnamon Brow and Fearnhead parish wards shall be three, for each of the Brook Acre and St Oswalds parish wards shall be two, and for the Longbarn parish ward shall be one.

Numbers of parish councillors7.

The number of parish councillors to be elected for each of the parish wards of Houghton and St Oswalds of the parish of Winwick shall be five.

Maps8.

Warrington Borough Council shall make a print of the map marked “Map of the Borough of Warrington (Electoral Changes) Order 2002” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.

Electoral registers9.

The Electoral Registration Officer10 for the borough shall make such rearrangement of, or adaptation of, the register of local government electors as may be necessary for the purposes of, and in consequence of, this Order.

Revocation10.

The Borough of Warrington (Parishes and Electoral Changes) Order 19971112 is revoked, save for articles 2, 4, 5 and 6.

Signed by the members of the Electoral Commission

Pamela Gordon
Commissioner
Glyn Mathias
Commissioner
Neil McIntosh
Commissioner
Karamjit Singh
Commissioner
Sam Younger
Commissioner
Graham Zellick
Commissioner

SCHEDULE 1NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS

article 3

(1)

(2)

(3)

Name of Ward

Area of Ward

Number of Councillors

Appleton

The parish of Appleton

3

Bewsey and Whitecross

3

Birchwood

The parish wards of Chatfield, Gorse Covert, Locking Stumps and Oakwood of the parish of Birchwood

3

Burtonwood and Winwick

2

Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft

The parishes of Croft, and Culcheth and Glazebury

3

Fairfield and Howley

3

Grappenhall and Thelwall

The parish of Grappenhall and Thelwall

3

Great Sankey North

The parish ward of Great Sankey North of the parish of Great Sankey

2

Great Sankey South

The parish ward of Great Sankey South of the parish of Great Sankey

3

Hatton, Stretton and Walton

The parishes of Hatton, Stretton and Walton

1

Latchford East

2

Latchford West

2

Lymm

The parish of Lymm

3

Orford

3

Penketh and Cuerdley

The parishes of Cuerdley and Penketh

3

Poplars and Hulme

3

Poulton North

3

Poulton South

2

Rixton and Woolston

The parishes of Rixton-with-Glazebrook and Woolston

3

Stockton Heath

The parish of Stockton Heath

2

Westbrook

2

Whittle Hall

3

SCHEDULE 2ORDER OF RETIREMENT OF COUNCILLORS

article 4(3)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Name of Ward

Number of councillors to retire in 2006

Number of councillors to retire in 2007

Number of councillors to retire in 2008

Appleton

1

1

1

Bewsey and Whitecross

1

1

1

Birchwood

1

1

1

Burtonwood and Winwick

0

1

1

Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft

1

1

1

Fairfield and Howley

1

1

1

Grappenhall and Thelwall

1

1

1

Great Sankey North

1

1

0

Great Sankey South

1

1

1

Hatton, Stretton and Walton

0

0

1

Latchford East

1

1

0

Latchford West

1

1

0

Lymm

1

1

1

Orford

1

1

1

Penketh and Cuerdley

1

1

1

Poplars and Hulme

1

1

1

Poulton North

1

1

1

Poulton South

1

0

1

Rixton and Woolston

1

1

1

Stockton Heath

0

1

1

Westbrook

1

0

1

Whittle Hall

1

1

1

(This note is not part of the Order)

The Order gives effect to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England for electoral changes in the borough of Warrington. The recommendations were submitted to the Secretary of State, but the functions of the Secretary of State under sections 13 to 15 and 17 of the Local Government Act 1992 so far as they relate to electoral changes were transferred with modifications to the Electoral Commission under the Local Government Commission for England (Transfer of Functions) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3962), with effect from 1st April 2002. That Order provides that recommendations submitted to the Secretary of State before 1st April would have effect as if they had been submitted to the Electoral Commission.

The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after 6th May 2004.

Article 3 abolishes the existing wards of the borough and provides for the creation of 22 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 4 makes provision for a whole council election in 2004 and for reversion to the established system of elections by thirds in subsequent years.

Schedule 2 provides for the order of retirement of councillors.

Articles 5 to 7 make electoral changes in the parishes of Burtonwood, Poulton-with-Fearnhead and Winwick.

Article 9 obliges the Electoral Registration Officer to make any necessary amendments to the electoral register to reflect the new electoral arrangements.

Article 10 revokes the Borough of Warrington (Parishes and Electoral Changes) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/781), with the exception of articles 2, 4, 5 and 6.

The areas of the new borough and parish wards are demarcated on the map described in article 2. Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of Warrington Borough Council and at the principal office of the Electoral Commission at Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2HW.