The Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham (Electoral Changes) Order 2000

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham (Electoral Changes) Order 2000.

(2) This Order shall come into force—

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 2nd May 2002, on 10th October 2001;

(b) for all other purposes, on 2nd May 2002.

(3) In this Order—

“borough” means the borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham;

“existing”, in relation to a ward, means the ward as it exists on the date this Order is made; and

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 Shrewsbury and Atcham (Electoral Changes) Order 2000” and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994(1).

Wards of Shrewsbury and Atcham

2.—(1) The existing wards of the borough(2) shall be abolished.

(2) The borough shall be divided into twenty-four 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 parishes and parish wards or, where no area is 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 Shrewsbury and Atcham

3.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this article, the election of councillors for wards of the borough shall be by thirds.

(2) Elections of all councillors for all wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002(3).

(3) The councillors holding office for any ward of the borough immediately before 6th May 2002 shall retire on that date and the newly-elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that date.

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

(5) Where the number of councillors elected in 2002 for any ward of the borough is two, the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (6) and (7), be the councillor elected by the smaller number of votes.

(6) 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.

(7) If an election of councillors for any ward is not contested, the person to retire in each year shall be determined by lot.

(8) 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.

(9) Except as otherwise provided in the preceding paragraphs of this article, the term of office of councillors shall be four years; and all councillors shall retire on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in the year of retirement and the newly-elected councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

Parish elections

4.—(1) The term of office of every parish councillor elected on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2000 for the parishes of Atcham, Berrington and Bicton shall be three years.

(2) Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Atcham, Berrington and Bicton shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003 and every fourth year after 2003.

(3) The ordinary elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Minsterley and Pontesbury in 2003 shall not take place; and any such parish councillor holding office immediately before 5th May 2003 who would, but for this paragraph, have retired on that date shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004.

(4) Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Minsterley and Pontesbury shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 and every fourth year after 2004.

(5) Elections of all parish councillors for the parish of Wroxeter and Uppington shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004, 2006 and every fourth year after 2006.

(6) The term of office of every parish councillor elected on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 for the parish of Wroxeter and Uppington shall be two years; and each such councillor shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2006.

(7) Where any provision of an order made before the making of this Order requires an election of parish councillors for a parish mentioned in paragraph (2) or (5) to be held on a date other than that for which that paragraph provides, it shall cease to have effect to that extent.

(8) Rule 8 of the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 1986(4) (filling of casual vacancies) shall have effect, in the case of a casual vacancy occuring before 8th May 2004 in the office of a parish councillor for the parishes of Minsterley and Pontesbury as if the references in paragraphs (1) and (4) of that rule to the day on which that councillor would regularly have retired were a reference to 8th May 2004.

Revocation

2.  The Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975 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

28th June 2000