Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru etc. Act 2013

31 Review of electoral arrangements for community by principal council E+W

[F1 (A1) A principal council must conduct a review of the electoral arrangements for each community in its area at least once in every review period.

(A2) In subsection (A1), “review period” means—

(a) the period of 12 years beginning with the day on which section 51 of the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 comes into force, and

(b) each subsequent period of 12 years.

(A3) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations amend subsection (A2).]

(1) A principal council may [F2 also] conduct a review of the electoral arrangements for a community in its area—

(a) of its own initiative, or

(b) at the request of—

(i) the community council for the community, or

(ii) not less than 30 local government electors registered in the community.

(2) But a principal council must not conduct a review under subsection (1) at the request of the community council or local government electors if it considers that doing so would impede the proper exercise of its functions.

(3) The changes that a principal council may propose and make in relation to a review under this section are—

(a) such changes to the electoral arrangements for the community as the principal council considers appropriate, and

(b) in consequence of any change to the electoral arrangements for the community, such changes to the electoral arrangements of the principal area as it considers appropriate.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3)(b), section 30 applies to a principal council as it applies to the Commission.

(5) A principal council may enter into an agreement with the Commission for the Commission (under section 32) to exercise the council's function of conducting reviews under this section.

(6) The agreement may be on such terms and conditions as the principal council and the Commission consider appropriate.

(7) In this Part, a reference to the electoral arrangements of a community is a reference to—

(a) the number of members of the council for the community;

(b) its division into wards (if appropriate) for the purposes of the election of councillors;

(c) the number and boundaries of any wards;

(d) the number of members to be elected for any ward;

(e) the name of any ward.

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 31(A1)-(A3) inserted (9.11.2024) by Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 (asc 5), ss. 51(3)(a), 72(2)(a) (with s. 55)

F2 Word in s. 31(1) inserted (9.11.2024) by Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 (asc 5), ss. 51(3)(b), 72(2)(a) (with s. 55)