2003 No. 1979

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND

The Borough of St Helens (Electoral Changes) Order 2003

Made31st July 2003

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2) and 1(3)

Whereas the Boundary Committee for England1, acting pursuant to section 15(4) of the Local Government Act 19922, has submitted to the Electoral Commission3 recommendations dated March 2003 on its review of the borough4 of St Helens:

And whereas the Electoral Commission have decided to give effect, with one modification, to those recommendations:

And whereas a period of not less than six weeks has expired since the receipt of those recommendations:

Now, therefore, the Electoral Commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 175 and 266 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 St Helens (Electoral Changes) Order 2003.

(2)

This Order, with the exception of articles 5, 6, 7 and 8 shall come into force —

(a)

for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on the ordinary day of elections in 2004, on 15th October 2003;

(b)

for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of elections in 2004.

(3)

Articles 5, 6, 7 and 8 shall come into force —

(a)

for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating the election of a parish councillor for the parishes of Bold, Seneley Green, Windle and Eccleston to be held on the ordinary day of elections in 2007, on 15th October 2006;

(b)

for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of elections in 2007.

Interpretation2.

In this Order —

“borough” means the borough of St Helens;

“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 referred to in the Borough of St Helens (Electoral Changes) Order 2003”, of which prints are available for inspection at —

(a)

the principal office of the Electoral Commission; and

(b)

the offices of St Helens Metropolitan 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 St Helens3.

(1)

The existing wards of the borough7 shall be abolished.

(2)

The borough shall be divided into sixteen wards which shall bear the names set out in Schedule 1.

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

Elections of the council of the borough of St Helens4.

(1)

Elections of all councillors for all wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 20048 9.

(2)

The councillors holding office for any ward of the borough immediately before the fourth day after the ordinary day of elections in 2004 shall retire on that day and the newly elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that day.

(3)

Of the councillors elected in 2004 one shall retire in 2006, one in 2007 and one in 2008.

(4)

Of the councillors elected in 2004 —

(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 Bold5.

(1)

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

(2)

The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Bold East, Bold North, Bold South and Bold West; 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 each of the parish wards of Bold North and Bold West shall be four, for the parish ward of Bold East shall be three, and for the parish ward of Bold South shall be one.

Wards of the parish of Seneley Green6.

The parish of Seneley Green shall be divided into three parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 2; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule, and the number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be the number specified in respect of the parish ward in column (3) of that Schedule.

Wards of the parish of Windle7.

The parish of Windle shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 3; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule, and the number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be the number specified in respect of the parish ward in column (3) of that Schedule.

Numbers of parish councillors for the parish of Eccleston8.

The number of parish councillors to be elected for the parish ward of Eccleston West shall be five, for the parish ward of Eccleston South shall be four, and for the parish ward of Eccleston East shall be three.

Maps9.

St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council shall make a print of the map marked “Map referred to in the Borough of St Helens (Electoral Changes) Order 2003” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.

Electoral registers10.

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.

Revocation11.

The Borough of St Helens (Electoral Arrangements) Order 197911 is revoked, save for articles 8 and 9(7).

Sealed with the seal of the Electoral Commission on the 31st day of July 2003

Sam Younger

Chairman of the Commission

31st July 2003

Jacqui Dixon

Secretary to the Commission

31st July 2003

SCHEDULE 1NAMES OF WARDS

article 3

Billinge and Seneley Green

Blackbrook

Bold

Earlestown

Eccleston

Haydock

Moss Bank

Newton

Parr

Rainford

Rainhill

Sutton

Thatto Heath

Town Centre

West Park

Windle

SCHEDULE 2WARDS OF THE PARISH OF SENELEY GREENNAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS

article 6

(1)	(2)	(3)
Name of Ward	Area of Ward	Number of Councillors
Seneley Green East	So much of the borough ward of Haydock as comprises the parish of Seneley Green	1
Seneley Green North	So much of the borough ward of Billinge and Seneley Green as comprises the parish of Seneley Green	8
Seneley Green South	So much of the borough ward of Blackbrook as comprises the parish of Seneley Green	1

SCHEDULE 3WARDS OF THE PARISH OF WINDLENAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS

article 7

(1}	(2)	(3)
Name of Ward	Area of Ward	Number of Councillors
Windle North	So much of the borough ward of Rainford as comprises the parish of Windle	1
Windle South	So much of the borough ward of Windle as comprises the parish of Windle	8

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect, with one modification, to recommendations by the Boundary Committee for England, a committee of the Electoral Commission, for electoral changes in the borough of St Helens.

The modification relates to the boundary between Haydock and Earlestown wards.

The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after the ordinary day of elections in 2004.

Article 3 abolishes the existing wards of the borough and provides for the creation of 16 new wards. That article and the 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 election by thirds in subsequent years.

Articles 5 to 8 make electoral changes in the parishes of Bold, Seneley Green, Windle and Eccleston.

Article 10 obliges the Electoral Registration Officer to make any necessary amendments to the electoral register to reflect the new electoral arrangements.

Article 11 revokes the Borough of St Helens (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979, with the exception of articles 8 and 9(7).

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 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council and at the principal office of the Electoral Commission at Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2HW.