For the administration of local government on and after 1st April 1974 England (exclusive of Greater London and the Isles of Scilly) shall be divided into local government areas to be known as counties and in those counties there shall be local government areas to be known as districts.

The counties shall be the metropolitan counties named in Part I and the non-metropolitan counties named in Part II of Schedule 1 to this Act and shall comprise the areas respectively described (by reference to administrative areas existing immediately before the passing of this Act) in column 2 of each Part of that Schedule.

The districts in the metropolitan counties shall be those respectively specified in column 2 of the said Part I and shall comprise the areas respectively described (by reference to administrative areas existing immediately before the passing of this Act) in that column, and the Secretary of State may by order provide a name for any such district.

The districts in the non-metropolitan counties shall be those respectively specified in one or more orders made by the Secretary of State under paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 to this Act and having the names given to them by one or more orders so made.

Part III of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect in relation to the boundaries of the new local government areas.

Subject to Part IV of Schedule 1 to this Act and to any provision corresponding to that Part made by an order under section 254 below, the rural parishes existing immediately before 1st April 1974 shall continue to exist on and after that date by the name of parishes.

The said Part IV shall have effect with respect to the existing rural parishes which by virtue of this Act are comprised in more than one county or more than one metropolitan district.

Part V of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect for the purpose of constituting parishes the boundaries of which are determined by reference to those of existing boroughs and urban districts and also, in cases where the areas of such boroughs and urban districts are divided by or under this section between two or more new districts, by reference to the boundaries of the new districts.

The boroughs which by virtue of section 141 of the 1933 Act or section 28 of the M1Local Government Act 1958 are included in rural districts immediately before the passing of this Act shall on the passing of this Act become parishes without ceasing to be boroughs, but shall cease to be boroughs on 1st April 1974.

On that date the following local government areas existing immediately before that date outside Greater London and the Isles of Scilly, that is to say, all administrative counties, boroughs (except those in rural districts), urban districts, rural districts and urban parishes, shall cease to exist and the council of every such area which has a council shall also cease to exist.

On that date the municipal corporation of every borough outside Greater London (and the corporation of a borough included in a rural district) shall cease to exist.

In this section “England” does not include the administrative county of Monmouthshire or the county borough of Newport.

For every F1non-metropolitan county there shall be a council consisting of a chairman and councillors and the council shall have all such functions as are vested in them by this Act or otherwise.

For every district there shall be a council consisting of a chairman and councillors and the council shall have all such functions as are vested in them by this Act or otherwise.

Each council mentioned in subsection (1) or (2) above shall be a body corporate by the name “The County Council” or “The District Council”, as the case may be, with the addition of the name of the particular county or district.

The chairman of a principal council shall be elected annually by the council from among the councillors.

The chairman shall, unless he resigns or becomes disqualified, continue in office until his successor becomes entitled to act as chairman.

During his term of office the chairman shall continue to be a member of the council notwithstanding the provisions of this Act relating to the retirement of councillors.

The chairman of a district council shall have precedence in the district, but not so as prejudicially to affect Her Majesty’s royal prerogative.

A principal council may pay the chairman for the purpose of enabling him to meet the expenses of his office such allowance as the council think reasonable.

The election of the chairman shall be the first business transacted at the annual meeting of a principal council.

If, apart from section 3(3) above or section 5(2) below, the person presiding at the meeting would have ceased to be a member of the council, he shall not be entitled to vote in the election except in accordance with subsection (3) below.

In the case of an equality of votes the person presiding at the meeting shall give a casting vote in addition to any other vote he may have.

A principal council shall appoint a member of the council to be vice-chairman of the council.

The vice-chairman shall, unless he resigns or becomes disqualified, hold office until immediately after the election of a chairman at the next annual meeting of the council and during that time shall continue to be a member of the council notwithstanding the provisions of this Act relating to the retirement of councillors.

Subject to any standing orders made by the council, anything authorised or required to be done by, to or before the chairman may be done by, to or before the vice-chairman.

A principal council may pay the vice-chairman for the purpose of enabling him to meet the expenses of his office such allowance as the council think reasonable.

Councillors for a principal area shall be elected by the local government electors for that area in accordance with this Act and Part I of the F2Representation of the People Act 1983.

The ordinary elections of county councillors shall take place in 1973 and every fourth year thereafter, their term of office shall be four years and they shall retire together in every such fourth year on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of county councillors, and in and after 1977 the newly elected councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

The ordinary elections of metropolitan district councillors shall take place in 1973, 1975 and every year thereafter other than F51977 and every fourth year thereafter.

Subject to paragraph 4 of Schedule 3 to this Act, the term of office of metropolitan district councillors shall be four years and one-third of the whole number of councillors in each ward of a metropolitan district, being those who have been councillors for the longest time without re-election, shall retire in every ordinary year of election of such councillors on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of such councillors, and in and after 1975 the newly elected councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

A resolution may not be passed under subsection (4) above within ten years of a previous resolution thereunder.

Where the Secretary of State receives a request under subsection (4)(a) above from a district council or does not before 1st April 1974 receive a request from a district council under subsection (4)(b) above, he may make an order providing for the ordinary elections of all the district councillors to be held simultaneously and the order may contain the like provision, and shall be treated, as if made under F6section 17 of the Local Government Act 1992.

Sections 2 to 7 above shall not apply to F9. . . London borough councils but, subject to subsection (2) below, the provisions of Schedule 2 to this Act shall have effect in relation to them instead.

No order shall be made under this section unless a draft of the order has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

For every parish there shall be a parish meeting for the purpose of discussing parish affairs and exercising any functions conferred on such meetings by any enactment and, subject to the provisions of this Act or any instrument made thereunder, for every parish or group of parishes having a parish council before 1st April 1974 there shall continue to be a parish council.

If a parish has a population which includes not more than 150 local government electors, the district council may by order establish a separate parish council for that parish if the parish meeting so resolve.

An order establishing a separate parish council for a parish shall make such provision as appears to the district council to be necessary for the election of a parish council in accordance with this Act and Part I of the F12Representation of the People Act 1983.

An order shall not be made under this section establishing a separate parish council for a parish grouped under a common parish council unless by that order or an order under section 11(4) below the parish is separated from the group or the group is dissolved, and where the group is not dissolved, the order under this section shall make such provision as appears to the district council to be necessary for the alteration of the parish council of the group.

Where the population of a parish having a separate parish council includes not more than 150 local government electors, the parish meeting may apply to the district council for the dissolution of the parish council, and thereupon the district council may by order dissolve the parish council.

Where an application under this section by a parish meeting is rejected, another such application may not be presented by that meeting within two years from the making of the previous application.

The parish meeting of a parish may apply to the district council for an order grouping the parish with some neighbouring parish or parishes in the same district under a common parish council or by adding the parish to an existing group of such parishes under such a council, and the district council may thereupon make an order accordingly, but subject to subsection (2) below.

Parishes shall not be grouped without the consent of the parish meeting of each of the parishes.

The district council may on the application of the council of a group of parishes or of the parish meeting of any parish included in a group of parishes make an order dissolving the group or separating one or more of those parishes from the group, and an order so made shall make such provision as appears to the district council to be necessary for the election of a parish council for any of the parishes in the group, where it is dissolved, and for any of the parishes separated from the group, where it is not.

An order under section 11(1) which forms a new group may make the provision set out in subsection (3).

The provision referred to in subsection (5) is provision that each added parish which has an alternative style shall cease to have an alternative style.

The provision referred to in subsection (7) is provision that each added parish shall (if it does not already have the style) have the same alternative style as the parishes already in the group.

The order under section 11(4) must provide for each de-grouped parish to continue to have the alternative style.

An order made by a district council or district councils under section 9, 10 or 11 above may contain such incidental, consequential, transitional or supplementary provision as may appear to the district council or district councils to be necessary or proper for the purposes or in consequence of the order or for giving full effect thereto, and may include provision with respect to the transfer and management or custody of property (whether real or personal) and the transfer of rights and liabilities.

When any such order is made, F17section 20 of the Local Government Act 1992 shall apply as if the order were made under Part II of that Act.

Two copies of every such order shall be sent to the Secretary of State.

This section applies to a parish which is not grouped with any other parish.

The appropriate parish authority may resolve that the parish shall have one of the alternative styles.

If the parish has an alternative style, the appropriate parish authority may resolve that the parish shall cease to have that style.

This section applies to a group of parishes.

The common parish council of the group may resolve that each of the grouped parishes shall have the same alternative style.

If each of the grouped parishes has an alternative style, the common parish council of the group may resolve that each of the grouped parishes shall cease to have that style.

The parish meeting of a parish shall consist of the local government electors for the parish.

Any act of a parish meeting may be signified by an instrument signed by the person presiding and two other local government electors present at the meeting, or, if an instrument under seal is required, by an instrument signed by those persons and sealed with the seal of the parish council in the case of a parish having a separate parish council or the parish trustees in any other case, if that council or those trustees have a seal, or, if they do not, with the seals of those persons.

In a parish not having a separate parish council the chairman of the parish meeting and the proper officer of the district council shall be a body corporate by the name of “the Parish Trustees” with the addition of the name of the parish.

The parish trustees of a parish shall act in accordance with any directions given by the parish meeting.

Notwithstanding anything in any rule of law the parish trustees need not have a common seal, but where they have no seal any act of theirs which requires to be signified by an instrument under seal may be signified by an instrument signed and sealed by the persons who are the parish trustees.

A parish council shall consist of the chairman and parish councillors and shall have all such functions as are vested in the council by this Act or otherwise.

The parish council shall be a body corporate by the name “The Parish Council” with the addition of the name of the particular parish.

Notwithstanding anything in any rule of law, a parish council need not have a common seal, but where a parish council have no seal any act of theirs which is required to be signified by an instrument under seal may be signified by an instrument signed and sealed by two members of the council.

The chairman of a parish council shall be elected annually by the council from among the councillors.

The election of a chairman shall be the first business transacted at the annual meeting of the parish council and if, apart from subsection (8) below, the person presiding at the meeting would have ceased to be a member of the parish council, he shall not be entitled to vote in the election except in accordance with subsection (3) below.

In the case of an equality of votes in the election of a chairman the person presiding at the meeting shall give a casting vote in addition to any other vote he may have.

The chairman shall, unless he resigns or becomes disqualified, continue in office until his successor becomes entitled to act as chairman.

A parish council may pay the chairman for the purpose of enabling him to meet the expenses of his office such allowance as the council think reasonable.

The parish council may appoint a member of the council to be vice-chairman of the council.

The vice-chairman shall, unless he resigns or becomes disqualified, hold office until immediately after the election of a chairman at the next annual meeting of the council.

During their term of office the chairman and vice-chairman shall continue to be members of the council notwithstanding the provisions of this Act relating to the retirement of parish councillors.

Subject to any standing orders made by the parish council, anything authorised or required to be done by, to or before the chairman may be done by, to or before the vice-chairman.

In a parish not having a separate parish council, the parish meeting shall, subject to any provisions of a grouping order, at their annual assembly elect a chairman for the year who shall continue in office until his successor is elected.

The number of parish councillors for each parish shall be such number not being less than five as may be fixed from time to time by the district council.

Parish councillors shall be elected by the local government electors for the parish in accordance with this Act and Part I of the F19Representation of the People Act 1983.

Subject to any provision included in an order by virtue of section 67 below and to the provisions of paragraphs 12 and 13 of Schedule 3 to this Act, the ordinary elections of parish councillors shall take place in 1976, 1979 and every fourth year thereafter, their term of office shall be three years in the case of those elected at the ordinary elections in 1976 and four years in the case of those elected at ordinary elections held thereafter, and the whole number of parish councillors shall retire together in every ordinary year of election of such councillors on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of such councillors, and the newly elected councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

Where a parish is not divided into parish wards there shall be one election of parish councillors for the whole parish.

Where a parish is divided into parish wards there shall be a separate election of parish councillors for each ward.

A parish council may appoint persons to be councillors of the council.

In exercising a function under or by virtue of this section a parish council must have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State about the exercise of that function.

A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

This section applies for the purposes of sections 9 to 16A.

The provisions of a relevant order which provide for a parish to have, or to cease to have, an alternative style are subject to any resolution under section 12A or 12B relating to that parish.

A resolution under section 12A or 12B relating to a parish is subject to any provisions of a relevant order which provide for a parish to have, or to cease to have, an alternative style.

A parish shall cease to have an alternative style if the parish begins to have the status of a town by virtue of section 245(6).

The new principal areas (determined by reference to areas which, immediately before the passing of the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, are local government areas) are set out in Parts I and II of Schedule 4 to this Act.

Each of the new principal areas shall have the name given to it in Schedule 4.

The new principal areas set out in Part I of Schedule 4 shall be counties and those set out in Part II of that Schedule shall be county boroughs.

In this Act “principal area”, in relation to Wales, means a county or county borough.

The counties which were created by this Act, as originally enacted, as counties in Wales, and the districts within them, shall cease to exist on 1st April 1996 except that the preserved counties shall continue in existence (with, in some cases, modified boundaries) for certain purposes.

The councils of the counties and districts mentioned in subsection (6) above shall cease to exist on 1st April 1996.

The areas of the preserved counties are set out in Part III of Schedule 4 and are determined by reference to local government areas in existence immediately before the passing of the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994.

The Secretary of State may by order change the name by which any of the preserved counties is for the time being known.

Any such order shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

The Welsh name of each of the new principal areas is shown in Schedule 4 immediately after its English name.

For every principal area in Wales there shall be a council consisting of a chairman and councillors.

Each such council shall be a body corporate and shall have the functions given to them by this Act or otherwise.

In the case of Abertawe, Caerdydd and Powys subsection (3)(b) above shall have effect as if it required the addition of the words “Cyngor Sir”.

The chairman of a principal council shall be elected annually by the council from among the councillors.

The chairman shall, unless he resigns or becomes disqualified, continue in office until his successor becomes entitled to act as chairman.

During his term of office the chairman shall continue to be a member of the council notwithstanding the provisions of this Act relating to the retirement of councillors.

The chairman of a district council shall have precedence in the district, but not so as prejudicially to affect Her Majesty’s royal prerogative.

A principal council may pay the chairman for the purpose of enabling him to meet the expenses of his office such allowance as the council think reasonable.

The election of the chairman shall be the first business transacted at the annual meeting of a principal council.

If, apart from section 22(3) above or section 24(2) below, the person presiding at the meeting would have ceased to be a member of the council, he shall not be entitled to vote in the election except in accordance with subsection (3) below.

In the case of an equality of votes the person presiding at the meeting shall give a casting vote in addition to any other vote he may have.

A principal council shall appoint a member of the council to be a vice-chairman of the council.

The vice-chairman shall, unless he resigns or becomes disqualified, hold office until immediately after the election of a chairman at the next annual meeting of the council and during that time shall continue to be a member of the council notwithstanding the provisions of this Act relating to the retirement of councillors.

Subject to any standing orders made by the council, anything authorised or required to be done by, to or before the chairman may be done by, to or before the vice-chairman.

A principal council may pay the vice-chairman for the purpose of enabling him to meet the expenses of his office such allowance as the council think reasonable.

Councillors for a principal area shall be elected by the local government electors for that area in accordance with this Act and Part I of the F25Representation of the People Act 1983.

For the purpose of the election of councillors, every principal area in Wales shall be divided into electoral divisions, each returning such number of councillors as may be provided by an order under paragraph 2 of Schedule 5 to this Act or under or by virtue of the provisions of Part IV of this Act.

There shall be a separate election for each electoral division.

The chairman of a county borough council is entitled to the style of “mayor” or “maer”.

The vice-chairman of a county borough council is entitled to the style of “deputy mayor” or “dirprwy faer”.

The ordinary elections of councillors of the new principal councils shall take place in 1995 and in every fourth year after 1995.

The term of office of every such councillor shall be four years.

A meeting of the local government electors for a community (hereafter in this Act referred to as a community meeting) may be convened for the purpose of discussing community affairs and exercising any functions conferred by any enactment on such meetings.

The Secretary of State shall, on an application in writing made to him before 1973 by the council of an existing borough (except an excepted borough) or of an existing urban district, being a borough or district the area of part of the area of which is co-extensive with the area of a community, direct that there shall be a council for the community for the purpose of exercising functions on and after 1st April 1974.

The Secretary of State may, without any application under subsection (3) above, but after such consultations as he thinks proper, direct not later than 30th June 1973 that for the said purpose there shall be a community council for a particular community the area of which is co-extensive with the area or part of the area of an existing borough (except an excepted borough) or of an existing urban district.

A community meeting of a community having a separate community council may, after 1st April 1974 and before the submission to the Secretary of State of the report of the Commission on the special community review relating to that community, apply to the district council for the dissolution of the community council, and thereupon the district council may by order dissolve the community council.

In this section “excepted borough” means the borough of Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, Port Talbot, Rhondda or Swansea.

A community meeting of a community which has not a separate community council and is not co-extensive with a district may, at any time except as provided by section 30 below, apply to the district council for an order establishing a council for the community, and thereupon the district council shall make such an order accordingly.

An order establishing a separate community council for a community shall make such provision as appears to the district council to be necessary for the election of a community council in accordance with this Act and Part I of the F29Representation of the People Act 1983.

An order shall not be made under this section establishing a separate community council for a community grouped under a common community council unless by that order or an order under section 29(4) below the community is separated from the group or the group is dissolved, and where the group is not dissolved, the order under this section shall make such provision as appears to the district council to be necessary for the alteration of the community council of the group.

A community meeting of a community having a separate community council may, at any time except as provided by section 30 below, apply to the district council for the dissolution of the community council, and thereupon the district council shall by order dissolve the community council.

A community meeting of a community may, at any time except as provided by section 30 below, apply to the district council for an order grouping the community with some neighbouring community or communities in the same district under a common community council or by adding the community to an existing group of such communities under such a council, and the district council may thereupon make an order accordingly, but subject to subsection (2) below.

Communities shall not be grouped without the consent of a community meeting of each of the communities.

The council of a group of communities or a community meeting of a community included in a group of communities may, at any time except as provided by section 30 below, apply to the district council for an order dissolving the group or separating one or more of those communities from the group, and the district council may thereupon make an order accordingly, and an order so made shall make such provision as appears to the district council to be necessary for the election of a community council for any of the communities in the group, where it is dissolved, and for any of the communities separated from the group, where it is not.

The council of a group of communities may apply to the principal council within whose area the communities lie for an order dissolving the group.

A community meeting of a community included in a group of communities may apply to the principal council within whose area the community lies for an order separating the community from the group.

Where a community council are dissolved by an order under this section, the order shall make such provision as appears to the principal council to be necessary for the election of a community council for any of the communities in the group in accordance with this Act and Part I of the Representation of the M2People Act 1983.

Where a community is separated from a group by an order under this section, the order shall make such provision as appears to the principal council to be necessary for the election of a community council for the community in accordance with this Act and Part I of the Representation of the M3People Act 1983.

Subject to section 30 below, an application under subsection (1) above may be made at any time.

This section is subject to section 29B below.

In the case of an application under section 29A(1), paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) above apply in relation to each of the communities concerned.

The required number of local government electors is such number as is equal to 30% of the local government electorate or, if that number exceeds 300, is 300.

No poll shall be held for the purposes of this section before the end of the period of 42 days beginning with the day on which the decision to hold the poll was taken.

Paragraph 34 of Schedule 12 to this Act (voting at community meetings) shall have effect subject to the provisions of this section.

Where the result of any poll (“the previous poll”) held for the purposes of this section is the rejection of the proposal with respect to which the poll was held, no further poll on that question shall be held before the end of the period of two years beginning with the date on which the previous poll was held.

In relation to an application under section 28(4) above subsection (1) above shall have effect as if for the words “two years”, in each place where they occur, there were substituted the words “five years”.

The Secretary of State may, on an application made by F34the Welsh Commission at any time when conducting a review under Part IV of this Act or on an application by a district council at any time when conducting such a review, direct that no community application shall be made in relation to any community affected by the review until the Secretary of State further directs.

Notwithstanding anything in subsections (1) and (2) above but without prejudice to subsection (3) above, the Secretary of State may permit the making of a community application in relation to a community if requested to do so by the council of the district in which the community is situated or by the community council (if any) or a community meeting of the community.

In this section “community application” means any application under section 28 or 29 above.

An order made by a district council under section 27, 28 or 29 above may contain such incidental, consequential, transitional or supplementary provision as may appear to the district council to be necessary or proper for the purposes or in consequence of the order or for giving full effect thereto, and may include provision with respect to the transfer and management or custody of property (whether real or personal) and the transfer of rights and liabilities.

Where any such order is made, section 68 below shall apply as if the order were made under Part IV of this Act.

Two copies of every such order shall be sent to the Secretary of State.

A community meeting of a community shall consist of local government electors for the community.

A community meeting may authorise the person presiding and two other local government electors present at the meeting to do anything or any class of things authorised by the meeting.

Any act of a community meeting may be signified by an instrument signed by the person presiding and two other local government electors present at the meeting.

A community council shall consist of the chairman and community councillors and shall have all such functions as are vested in the council by this Act or otherwise.

The community council shall be a body corporate F35and, subject to subsection (2A) below, shall be known by the name “The Community Council” with the addition of the name of the particular community.

If and so long as this subsection is in force in relation to a community council, subsection (2) above shall have effect in relation to that council as if for the words “The Community Council” there were substituted “Cyngor Cymuned”

Subsection (2A) above shall come into force in relation to a community council three months after the day on which, at a specially convened meeting of the council, it is resolved by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting that the Welsh language form of the council’s description shall be used; and that subsection shall cease to be in force in relation to a community council three months after the day on which, at a specially convened meeting of the council, it is resolved by a similar majority that the Welsh language form of the council’s description shall cease to be used.

Notwithstanding anything in any rule of law, a community council need not have a common seal, but where a community council have no seal any act of theirs which is required to be signified by an instrument under seal may be signified by an instrument signed and sealed by two members of the council.

A contravention of the duty imposed by subsection (2) or (3) above shall not affect the validity of any decision of a principal council or of anything done in pursuance of any such decision.

The chairman of a community council shall be elected annually by the council from among the councillors.

The election of a chairman shall be the first business transacted at the annual meeting of the community council and if, apart from subsection (8) below, the person presiding at the meeting would have ceased to be a member of the community council, he shall not be entitled to vote in the election except in accordance with subsection (3) below.

In the case of an equality of votes in the election of a chairman the person presiding at the meeting shall give a casting vote in addition to any other vote he may have.

The chairman shall, unless he resigns or becomes disqualified, continue in office until his successor becomes entitled to act as chairman.

A community council may pay the chairman for the purpose of enabling him to meet the expenses of his office such allowance as the council think reasonable.

A community council may appoint a member of the council to be vice-chairman of the council.

The vice-chairman shall, unless he resigns or becomes disqualified, hold office until immediately after the election of a chairman at the next annual meeting of the council.

During their term of office the chairman and vice-chairman shall continue to be members of the council notwithstanding the provisions of this Act relating to the retirement of community councillors.

Subject to any standing orders made by the community council, anything authorised or required to be done by, to or before the chairman may be done by, to or before the vice-chairman.

Community councillors shall be elected by the local government electors for the community in accordance with this Act and Part I of the F38Representation of the People Act 1983.

There shall be ordinary elections of community councillors in 1995 and in every fourth year thereafter.

The term of office of the community councillors shall be four years.

Where a community is not divided into community wards there shall be one election of community councillors for the whole community.

Where a community is divided into community wards there shall be a separate election of community councillors for each ward.

There shall be a Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales (in this Act referred to as “the Welsh Commission”) who shall carry out the functions conferred on them by or under this Act.

The provisions of Schedule 8 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the Welsh Commission.

The Welsh Commission may, in consequence of a review conducted by them under this Part of this Act make proposals to the Secretary of State for effecting changes in the area of a preserved county which appear to the Commission to be desirable having regard, in particular, to the purposes for which the preserved counties are retained.

Where the Welsh Commission make proposals for the constitution of a new principal area, those proposals shall specify whether the new area should be a county or a county borough.

The Welsh Commission shall not make any proposals to the Secretary of State under this section for a substantive change of electoral arrangements for a community except in accordance with section 57(7) below.

It shall be the duty of the Welsh Commission to keep under review all counties and districts in Wales for the purpose of considering whether or not to make such proposals in relation to them as are authorised by section 54 above and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall, unless to do so would in their opinion impede the proper discharge of their functions, consider any request made to them by any local authority appearing to the Commission to be interested in any such county or district that the Commission should make such proposals, and in either case the Commission shall, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

Upon the completion, in relation to their district, of the special community review under Schedule 10 below it shall be the duty of the council for each district in Wales to keep the whole of their district under review for the purpose of considering whether or not to make recommendations to the Welsh Commission for such proposals with respect to the constitution of new communities, the abolition of communities or the alteration of communities in their district as are authorised by section 54 above and what recommendations, if any, to make and the council shall, unless to do so would in their opinion impede the proper discharge of their functions under this Part of this Act, consider any request made with respect to any of those matters by any community council or community meeting appearing to the district council to be interested, and the district council shall from time to time report to the Commission accordingly.

The Welsh Commission shall consider any report made under subsection (2) above with respect to any district in Wales and, if they think fit, make the proposals recommended, either as submitted to them or with modifications, but if the Commission are of the opinion that the proposals recommended are not, as submitted or with modifications, apt for securing effective and convenient local government in that district or the district council have reported that they will not recommend the Commission to make proposals, the Commission may themselves review the whole or part of that district for the purpose of considering whether or not to make such proposals in relation to it as are authorised by section 54 above and what proposals, if any, to make and may, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

In any case where the Secretary of State has made an order under section 1 of the M4New Towns Act 1965 designating any land as, or as an extension of, a new town and the area of the new town as so designated or so extended is not wholly comprised within one district, he shall, as soon as practicable after the order has become operative, send to the Welsh Commission a notice stating that the order is in operation and specifying the districts within which that area is situated, and on receipt of such a notice it shall be the duty of the Commission to review the areas of those districts for the purpose of considering whether or not to make such proposals in relation to them as are authorised by section 54 above and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

The Secretary of State may, at the request of the Welsh Commission or otherwise, direct the council of a district in Wales to conduct a review of the whole or any part of their district for the purpose of considering whether or not to make recommendations to the Commission for such proposals with respect to the constitution of new communities, the abolition of communities or the alteration of communities in their district as are authorised by section 54 above and what recommendations, if any, to make, and to report to the Commission accordingly within a period specified in the direction.

The Welsh Commission shall consider any report made under subsection (2) above with reference to any district in Wales and, if they think fit, make the proposals recommended, either as submitted to them or with modifications, but if the Commission are of the opinion that the proposals recommended are not, as submitted or with modifications, apt for securing effective and convenient local government in that district or the district council have reported that they will not recommend the Commission to make proposals, the Commission may themselves review the whole or part of that district for the purpose of considering whether or not to make such proposals in relation to it as are authorised by section 54 above and what proposals, if any, to make and may, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

If a district council fail within the period specified in a direction under subsection (2) above to submit a report to the Welsh Commission, the Secretary of State may direct the Welsh Commission to conduct the review which the district council were directed to conduct for the purpose of considering whether or not to make any such proposals as aforesaid and what, if any, proposals to make, and the Commission shall, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

If in conducting a review under this section the Commission or a district council intend to make, or recommend the making of, proposals for a change in F60any areas, they shall also consider whether or not in consequence of that change to make or recommend the making of proposals for any such matters as are mentioned in section 55(5) above, and subsections (1) to (3) of that section shall apply in relation to such proposals and recommendations as they apply in relation to proposals authorised by section 54 above and recommendations for such proposals.

No review shall be conducted under section 55 or 56 above for the purpose of making proposals for a substantive change of electoral arrangements, but the following provisions of this section shall have effect with respect to the making of such proposals.

It shall be the duty of the Welsh Commission not less than ten or more than fifteen years after the completion of the initial review of the electoral arrangements for F61principal areas under F62section 64 of this Act (as substituted by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994) and thereafter, so far as is reasonably practicable, at intervals of not less than ten or more than fifteen years from the submission of the last report of the Commission on the previous review under this subsection in relation to the area in question, to review the electoral arrangements for every principal area in Wales for the purpose of considering whether or not to make proposals to the Secretary of State for a substantive change in those electoral arrangements and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

Without prejudice to subsection (2) above, the Welsh Commission may at any time, whether at the request of a local authority or otherwise, review the electoral arrangements for a principal area in Wales for the purpose of considering whether or not to make proposals to the Secretary of State for a substantive change in those electoral arrangements and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

It shall be the duty of the council of each district in Wales to keep under review the electoral arrangements for the communities in their district for the purpose of considering whether or not to make substantive changes in those arrangements and what changes, if any, to make and the council shall consider any requests made with respect to those arrangements by the council for, or not less than thirty local government electors of, any community appearing to the district council to be likely to be affected by those changes, and the district council may, if they think fit, make an order giving effect to those changes.

The Welsh Commission may, on a request made by the council for, or not less than thirty local government electors of, any community, review the electoral arrangements for the community for the purpose of considering whether or not to make proposals to the district council for an order under subsection (6) below changing those arrangements and what proposals, if any, to make, and may, if they think fit, formulate such proposals and send them to the district council accordingly.

Where a district council have received proposals from the Welsh Commission under subsection (5) above for an order under this subsection they may, if they think fit, make the order proposed or may suggest modifications to the proposals and, where the Commission agree to the modifications suggested, may make the order with those modifications.

If after receiving any such proposals a district council inform the Welsh Commission that in their opinion the order proposed should not be made (whether with or without modifications) or if, within six months of receiving any such proposals the district council have not made the order proposed (whether with or without modifications), the Commission may report that fact to the Secretary of State and make to him the proposals which they made to the district council.

The Secretary of State may if he thinks fit by order give effect to any proposals made to him by the Welsh Commission, either as submitted to him or with modifications:

If in relation to any area the Secretary of State decides to make an order under this section giving effect with modifications to proposals made to him by the Commission, he may, if he thinks fit, direct the Commission to conduct a further review of that area or, as the case may be, of its electoral arrangements and to make revised proposals with respect to that area or those arrangements within a time specified in the direction.

The Secretary of State shall exercise his power to make orders under this section in relation to police areas in such a way as to ensure that no county or county borough is divided between two or more police areas.

The Secretary of State may give the Welsh Commission or the council of a district in Wales directions for their guidance in conducting reviews under section 55, 56 or 57 above and making proposals or recommendations or considering substantive changes in electoral arrangements in consequence thereof, and the directions may relate to all such reviews or to any particular review or class of review.

A direction shall not be given under subsection (1) above with respect to all reviews, reviews of any class or a single review of F65. . . the principal areas in Wales except after consultation with associations appearing to the Secretary of State to be representative of local authorities.

The Secretary of State may give directions to the Welsh Commission with respect to the order in which areas or electoral arrangements are to be reviewed by them under any provision of section 55 or 56 above.

F66The Welsh Commission or a district council proposing to conduct a review under the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act shall take such steps as they think fit to secure that persons who may be interested in the review are informed of the proposal to conduct it and of any directions of the Secretary of State which are relevant to it.

In considering any recommendations made by a district council in consequence of a review conducted by them under this Part of this Act F67the Welsh Commission may consult the council of any local government area affected by the review, such other local authorities and public bodies as appear to them to be concerned and such other persons as they think fit.

Subject to subsections (1) to (5) above, the Secretary of State may make regulations prescribing the procedure by which F67the Welsh Commission or, as the case may be, a district council are to conduct a review under this Part of this Act or by which F67the Welsh Commission are to consider recommendations of a district council thereunder.

Subject to those subsections and to any regulations made under subsection (6) above, the procedure of F67the Welsh Commission or a district council in conducting any such review and the procedure of the Commission in considering any such recommendations shall be such as they may determine.

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F75The Welsh Commission or a district council may cause a local inquiry to be held with respect to any review carried out by them under this Part of this Act.

Section 250(2), (3) and (5) below shall apply in relation to an inquiry held under this section with the substitution for references to a Minister of references to the Commission or district council causing the inquiry to be held.

The provisions of Part IV of this Act shall apply to a review under subsection (1) above as they apply to a review under section 57 above.

At the request of F79the Welsh Commission the Secretary of State may appoint one or more persons as assistant commissioners for all or any of the purposes specified in subsection (1)(a) and (b) above.

The Secretary of State may by regulations of general application make such incidental, consequential, transitional or supplementary provision as may appear to him to be necessary or proper for the purposes or in consequence of orders under this Part of this Act or for giving full effect thereto; and nothing in any other provision of this Act shall be construed as prejudicing the generality of this subsection.

A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

An order under this Part of this Act may include the like provision in relation to the order as may be made by regulations of general application under this section by virtue of subsections (1) and (2) above; and nothing in any other provision of this Act shall be construed as prejudicing the generality of this subsection.

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Any public bodies affected by the alteration, abolition or constitution of any area by an order under this Part of this Act may from time to time make agreements with respect to any property, income, rights, liabilities and expenses (so far as affected by the alteration, abolition or constitution) of, and any financial relations between, the parties to the agreement.

In default of agreement as to any matter, the matter shall be referred to the arbitration of a single arbitrator agreed on by the parties, or in default of agreement appointed by the Secretary of State, and the award of the arbitrator may provide for any matter for which an agreement under this section might have provided.

Any sum required to be paid by a public body in pursuance of an agreement or award under this section may be paid out of such fund or rate as may be specified in the agreement or award, or if no fund or rate was specified, either out of the fund or rate from which the general expenses of the public body are defrayed, or out of such fund or rate as the public body may direct.

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Any agreement or award under this section which relates to the profits of local taxation licences shall, so far as it so relates, be carried out in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State.

The power conferred by section 266 below to vary and revoke orders under this Act shall, in the case of orders under this Part of this Act, apply only in relation to any supplementary provision contained in any such order, and an order varying or revoking any such provision shall only be made after compliance with subsections (2) and (3) below.

The Secretary of State or district council proposing to make any such varying or revoking order shall prepare a draft of the order, shall send copies of the draft to such local or public authorities as appear to him or them to be concerned, and shall give public notice, in such manner as appears to him or them sufficient for informing persons likely to be concerned, that the draft has been prepared, that a copy of the draft is available for inspection at a place specified in the notice and that representations with respect to the draft may be made to him or them within two months of the publication of the notice.

The Secretary of State or district council shall consider any representations duly made with respect to the draft and may, if he or they think fit, make an order either in the form of the draft or subject to modifications.

The Secretary of State or a district council may cause a local inquiry to be held with respect to the draft and section 250(2), (3) and (5) below shall apply in relation to an inquiry held under this subsection by a district council with the substitution for references to a Minister of references to the council.

Any supplementary provision contained in an order made under any of the enactments mentioned in subsection (5) above by a county council may be varied or revoked in relation to any new district to which or part of which that provision relates by an order made by the council of the district, and subsections (2) to (4) above shall apply with all necessary modifications in relation to any such order as they apply in relation to orders varying or revoking orders under this Part of this Act.

In this section “supplementary provision” means any such provision as could be made by an order under this Part of this Act by virtue of section 67 above or section 255 below.

F89The Welsh Commissionmay at any time review so much of the boundary of any county as lies below the high-water mark of medium tides and does not form a common boundary with another county and may make proposals to the Secretary of State for making alterations to any part of the boundary so as to include in the county any area of the sea which at the date of the proposals is not, in whole or in part, comprised in any other county or to exclude from the county any area of the sea which at that date is comprised in the county.

The Secretary of State may direct F89the Welsh Commission to conduct a review under this section of a particular boundary or not to undertake during a specified period such a review of a particular boundary, and may give F89the Welsh Commission directions for their guidance in conducting a review and making proposals under this section.

Subsections (1), (2), (5), (6) and (7) of section 60 above shall apply in relation to a review under this section as they apply in relation to a review under the provisions of this Part of this Act which precede that section.

The Secretary of State may if he thinks fit by order give effect to any proposals made to him under this section, either as submitted to him or with modifications.

A statutory instrument containing an order under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

Every accretion from the sea or part of the sea-shore which is annexed to and incorporated with a parish F90. . . under this section shall be annexed to and incorporated with the district and county in which that parish F90. . . is situated.

Every accretion from the sea or part of the sea-shore which is annexed to and incorporated with a community under this section shall be annexed to and incorporated with the principal area and the preserved county in which that community is situated.

In England, in so far as the whole or part of any such accretion from the sea or part of the sea-shore as is mentioned in subsection (1) above does not adjoin a parish, it shall be annexed to and incorporated with the district which it adjoins or, if it adjoins more than one district, with those districts in proportion to the extent of the common boundary; and every such accretion or part of the sea-shore which is annexed to and incorporated with a district under this section shall be annexed to and incorporated with the county in which that district is situated.

Where, in the exercise of any power F92conferred by the conferred by the Water Resources Act 1991, the Land Drainage Act 1991 or any other enactment, a water-course forming a boundary line between two or more areas of local government is straightened, widened or otherwise altered so as to affect its character as a boundary line, the drainage board or other persons under whose authority the alteration is made shall forthwith send notice of the alteration to the Secretary of State.

If after consultation with F93the Local Government Commission for England or the Welsh Commission, as the case may require, the Secretary of State is satisfied that, having regard to the alteration specified in the notice, a new boundary line may conveniently be adopted, he may by order declare that such line as may be specified in the order (whether or not consisting wholly or in part of the line of the water-course as altered) shall be substituted for so much of the boundary line as, before the alteration, lay along the line of the water-course; and where such an order is made the limits of the areas of which the water-course, before the alteration, was the boundary shall be deemed to be varied accordingly.

The Secretary of State shall, in such manner as he thinks appropriate, publish notice of any order made by him under this section.

For the purposes of this section a preserved county is an area of local government.

Subject to subsection (5) below, the council of a county F95, county borough, district or London borough may, by a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the members voting thereon at a meeting of the council specially convened for the purpose with notice of the object, change the name of the county F95, county borough, district or borough.

Where the name of a district which has been granted the status of a city, borough or royal borough or the name of a London borough is changed in pursuance of this section, the charter or other grant or incorporation order shall have effect as if the new name were substituted for the old.

Where a Welsh principal area which has, by charter or other grant or incorporation order, been granted the status of a county borough, city or royal borough subsequently changes the name of the council in pursuance of this section, the charter or other grant or incorporation order shall have effect as if the new name were substituted for the old.

A change of name made in pursuance of this section F98. . . shall not affect any rights or obligations of any county F99, county borough, district or London borough or of any council, authority or person, or render defective any legal proceedings; and any legal proceedings may be commenced or continued as if there had been no change of name.

The name of a county or district shall not be changed under this section before 1st April 1978 unless the change is made with the consent of the Secretary of State.

The name of a Welsh principal area shall not be changed under this section before 1st October 1996 except with the consent of the Secretary of State.

If the name of a Welsh principal area is changed under this section, and there are generally accepted alternative English and Welsh forms of that name, or alternative English and Welsh names, both forms of the new name or (as the case may be) both names shall be published.

At the request of the parish council or, where there is no parish council, at the request of the parish meeting, the council of the district in which the parish is situated may change the name of the parish.

A change of name made in pursuance of this section shall not affect any rights or obligations of any parish or of any council, authority or person, or render defective any legal proceedings; and any legal proceedings may be commenced or continued as if there had been no change of name.

At the request of the community council or, where there is no community council, at the request of a community meeting, the council of the district in which the community is situated may change the name of the community.

A change of name made in pursuance of this section F101or by virtue of a resolution under section 33(2B) above shall not affect any rights or obligations of any community or of any council, authority or person, or render defective any legal proceedings; and any legal proceedings may be commenced or continued as if there had been no change of name.

In considering the electoral arrangements for local government areas for the purposes of this Part of this Act, the Secretary of State, F105the Welsh Commission and every district council shall so far as is reasonably practicable comply with the rules set out F106in Schedule 11 to this Act.

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Teachers in a school maintained but not established by a local education authority shall be in the same position as respects disqualification for office as members of the authority as teachers in a school established by the authority.

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For the purposes of subsection (1) F114. . . (d) above, the ordinary date on which the period allowed for making an appeal or application with respect to the F114. . . conviction expires or, if such an appeal or application is made, the date on which the appeal or application is finally disposed of or abandoned or fails by reason of the non-prosecution thereof shall be deemed to be the date of the F114. . . conviction, F114. . ..

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Where a person is disqualified under section 80 above by reason of his having made a composition or arrangement with his creditors and he pays his debts in full, the disqualification shall cease on the date on which the payment is completed and in any other case it shall cease on the expiration of five years from the date on which the terms of the deed of composition or arrangement are fulfilled.

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The acts and proceedings of any person elected to an office under this Act F122or elected or appointed to an office under Part F123. . . IV of the Local Government Act 1985 and acting in that office shall, notwithstanding his disqualification or want of qualification, be as valid and effectual as if he had been qualified.

Subsection (1) above shall have effect, in relation to the Broads Authority, as if the reference to this Act included a reference to the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988.

The person elected to any of the following offices, that is to say, the office of chairman, vice-chairman, . . . F125 councillor of the council of a county F126, county borough, district or London borough . . . F127 shall not, unless he has made a declaration of acceptance of office in a form prescribed by F128an order made by the Secretary of State, and the declaration has within two months from the day of the election been delivered to the proper officer of the council, act in the office except for the purpose of taking such a declaration.

If such a declaration is not made and delivered to the proper officer within the appointed time, the office of the person elected shall at the expiration of that time become vacant.

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Any person before whom a declaration is authorised to be made under this section may take the declaration.

A person elected or appointed to an office under Part . . . F132 IV of the Local Government Act 1985 may at any time resign his office by written notice delivered to the proper officer of the authority of which he is a member and his resignation shall take effect upon the receipt of the notice by that officer.

Subject to subsections (2) and (3) below, if a member of a local authority fails throughout a period of six consecutive months from the date of his last attendance to attend any meeting of the authority, he shall, unless the failure was due to some reason approved by the authority before the expiry of that period, cease to be a member of the authority.

Attendance as a member at a meeting of any committee or sub-committee of the authority, or at a meeting of any joint committee, joint board or other body by whom for the time being any of the functions of the authority are being discharged, or who were appointed to advise the authority on any matter relating to the discharge of their functions, and attendance as representative of the authority at a meeting of any body of persons, shall be deemed for the purposes of subsection (1) above to be attendance at a meeting of the authority.

A member of any branch of Her Majesty’s naval, military or air forces when employed during war or any emergency on any naval, military or air force service, and a person whose employment in the service of Her Majesty in connection with war or any emergency is such as, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, to entitle him to relief from disqualification on account of absence, shall not cease to be a member of a local authority by reason only of a failure to attend meetings of the local authority if the failure is due to that employment.

In this section “local authority” includes a joint authority . . . F134

In this section “local authority” includes a joint authority F139 . . .

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On a casual vacancy occurring in the office of chairman of any council F144. . ., an election to fill the vacancy shall be held not later than the next ordinary meeting of the council held after the date on which the vacancy occurs, or if that meeting is held within fourteen days after that date, then not later than the next following ordinary meeting of the council, and shall be conducted in the same manner as an ordinary election.

F145. . . , a meeting of the council for the election may be convened by the proper officer of the authority.

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In a parish not having a separate parish council, a casual vacancy in the office of chairman of the parish meeting shall be filled by the parish meeting, and a parish meeting shall be convened for the purpose of filling the vacancy forthwith.

The day of election to fill a casual vacancy in any office mentioned in subsection (1) above shall be fixed by the returning officer F148. . .

Where a casual vacancy in any such office occurs within six months before the day on which the councillor whose office is vacant would regularly have retired, an election shall not be held under subsection (1) above unless on the occurrence of the vacancy (or in the case of a number of simultaneous vacancies, the occurrence of the vacancies) the total number of unfilled vacancies in the membership of the council exceeds one third of the whole number of members; and where an election under subsection (1) above is not held, the vacancy shall be filled at the next ordinary election.

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Where more than one casual vacancy in the office of councillor of a district in which councillors are elected by thirds is filled at the same election, the person elected by the smallest number of votes shall be deemed to be elected in place of the councillor who would regularly have first retired, and the person elected by the next smallest number of votes shall be deemed to be elected in place of the councillor who would regularly have next retired and so with respect to the others; and if there has not been a contested election, or if any doubt arises, the order of retirement shall be determined by lot.

A casual vacancy among parish or community councillors shall be filled by election or by the parish or community council in accordance with rules made under F150section 36 of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

Where there are so many vacancies in the office of parish or community councillor that the parish or community council are unable to act, the district council may by order appoint persons to fill all or any of the vacancies until other councillors are elected and take up office.

In the case of a common parish council under which are grouped, by virtue of section 11(5) above, parishes situated in different districts, the reference in subsection (1) above to the district council shall be construed as a reference to the council of the district in which there is the greater number of local government electors for the parishes in the group.

Two copies of every order made under this section shall be sent to the Secretary of State.

Where in proceedings instituted under this section in the High Court it is proved that the defendant claims to act as a member of a local authority and is disqualified for so acting, the court may make a declaration to that effect and declare that the office in which the defendant claims to be entitled to act is vacant and grant an injunction restraining him from so acting.

No proceedings shall be instituted against a person otherwise than under this section on the ground that he has, while disqualified for acting as a member of a local authority, so acted or claimed to be entitled so to act.

In this section “local authority” includes a joint authority F155. . .; and in relation to a joint authority the reference in subsection (1) above to a local government elector for the area concerned shall be construed as a reference to a local government elector for any local government area in the area for which the authority is established.

In relation to the Broads Authority, the reference in subsection (1) above to a local government elector for the area concerned shall be construed as a reference to a local government elector for the area of any of the local authorities mentioned in section 1(3)(a) of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988.

Subject to the provisions of section 97 below, if a member of a local authority has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any contract, proposed contract or other matter, and is present at a meeting of the local authority at which the contract or other matter is the subject of consideration, he shall at the meeting and as soon as practicable after its commencement disclose the fact and shall not take part in the consideration or discussion of the contract or other matter or vote on any question with respect to it.

If any person fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (1) above he shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding F158level 4 on the standard scale unless he proves that he did not know that the contract, proposed contract or other matter in which he had a pecuniary interest was the subject of consideration at that meeting.

A prosecution for an offence under this section shall not be instituted except by or on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

A local authority may by standing orders provide for the exclusion of a member of the authority from a meeting of the authority while any contract, proposed contract or other matter in which he has a pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, is under consideration.

Subsection (1) above does not apply to membership of or employment under any public body, and a member of a company or other body shall not by reason only of his membership be treated as having an interest in any contract, proposed contract or other matter if he has no beneficial interest in any securities of that company or other body.

In the case of married persons living together the interest of one spouse shall, if known to the other, be deemed for the purpose of section 94 above to be also an interest of the other.

A general notice given in writing to the proper officer of the authority by a member thereof to the effect that he or his spouse is a member or in the employment of a specified company or other body, or that he or his spouse is a partner or in the employment of a specified person, or that he or his spouse is the tenant of any premises owned by the authority, shall, unless and until the notice is withdrawn, be deemed to be a sufficient disclosure of his interest in any contract, proposed contract or other matter relating to that company or other body or to that person or to those premises which may be the subject of consideration after the date of the notice.

The proper officer of the authority shall record in a book to be kept for the purpose particulars of any disclosure made under section 94 above and of any notice given under this section, and the book shall be open at all reasonable hours to the inspection of any member of the local authority.

The district council, as respects a member of a parish or community council, and the Secretary of State, as respects a member of any other local authority, may, subject to such conditions as the district council or the Secretary of State may think fit to impose, remove any disability imposed by section 94 above in any case in which the number of members of the local authority disabled by that section at any one time would be so great a proportion of the whole as to impede the transaction of business, or in any other case in which it appears to the district council or the Secretary of State in the interests of the inhabitants of the area that the disability should be removed.

The power of a district council and of the Secretary of State under subsection (1) above includes power to remove, either indefinitely or for any period, any such disability which would otherwise attach to any member (or, in the case of the power of the Secretary of State, any member or any class or description of member) by reason of such interests, and in respect of such matters, as may be specified by the council or the Secretary of State.

Nothing in section 94 above precludes any person from taking part in the consideration or discussion of, or voting on, any question whether an application should be made to a district council or the Secretary of State for the exercise of the powers conferred by subsections (1) and (2) above.

Section 94 above does not apply to an interest in a contract, proposed contract or other matter which a member of a local authority has as F161a person who is liable F162to pay an amount in respect of any community charge or in respect of council tax or who would be so liable but for any enactment or anything provided or done under any enactment or as a ratepayer or inhabitant of the area or as an ordinary consumer of water, or to an interest in any matter relating to the terms on which the right to participate in any service, including the supply of goods, is offered to the public.

For the purposes of section 94 above a member shall not be treated as having a pecuniary interest in any contract, proposed contract or other matter by reason only of an interest of his or of any company, body or person with which he is connected as mentioned in section 95(1) above which is so remote or insignificant that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence a member in the consideration or discussion of, or in voting on, any question with respect to that contract or matter.

Where a member of a local authority has an indirect pecuniary interest in a contract, proposed contract or other matter by reason only of a beneficial interest in securities of a company or other body, and the total nominal value of those securities does not exceed F163£5,000 or one-hundredth of the total nominal value of the issued share capital of the company or body, whichever is the less, and if the share capital is of more than one class, the total nominal value of shares of any one class in which he has a beneficial interest does not exceed one-hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class, section 94 above shall not prohibit him from taking part in the consideration or discussion of the contract or other matter or from voting on any question with respect to it, without prejudice, however, to his duty to disclose his interest.

In sections 94 and 97 above “local authority” includes a joint authority F166and a police authority established under section 3 of the M12Police Act 1964 . . . F167 and in section 94(5)(a) above “principal council” includes any such authority.

In section 95 above “public body” includes any body established for the purpose of carrying on under national ownership any industry or part of an industry or undertaking, the governing body of any university, university college or college, school or hall of a university and the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty incorporated by the M13National Trust Act 1907.

For the purpose of securing the admission, so far as practicable, of the public (including the press) to all meetings of committees of local authorities as well as to meetings of local authorities themselves, the M15Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 (in this section referred to as “the 1960 Act”) shall have effect subject to the following provisions of this section.

Without prejudice to section 2(1) of the 1960 Act (application of section 1 of that Act to any committee of a body whose membership consists of or includes all members of that body) section 1 of the 1960 Act shall apply F171. . . to any committee appointed by one or more local authorities under section 102 below, not being a committee falling within section 2(1) of the 1960 Act F172or section 100E(3)(a) or (b) below (whether or not by virtue of section 100J below).

Where section 1 of the 1960 Act applies to a committee by virtue of subsection (2) above, then, for the purposes of subsection (4)(c) of that section, premises belonging to the local authority or one or more of the local authorities which appointed the committee shall be treated as belonging to the committee.

Without prejudice to any powers exercisable apart from this section but subject to the provisions of this Act and any other enactment passed before or after this Act, a local authority shall have power to do any thing (whether or not involving the expenditure, borrowing or lending of money or the acquisition or disposal of any property or rights) which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the discharge of any of their functions.

For the purposes of this section, transacting the business of a parish or community meeting or any other parish or community business shall be treated as a function of the parish or community council.

A local authority shall not by virtue of this section raise money, whether by means of rates, precepts or borrowing, or lend money except in accordance with the enactments relating to those matters respectively.

In this section “local authority” includes the Common Council.

Without prejudice to section 111 above but subject to the provisions of this Act, a local authority shall appoint such officers as they think necessary for the proper discharge by the authority of such of their or another authority’s functions as fall to be discharged by them and the carrying out of any obligations incurred by them in connection with an agreement made by them in pursuance of section 113 below.

An officer appointed under subsection (1) above shall hold office on such reasonable terms and conditions, including conditions as to remuneration, as the authority appointing him think fit.

Subject to subsection (4) below, any enactment or instrument made under an enactment which requires or empowers all local authorities or local authorities of any description or committees of local authorities to appoint a specified officer shall, to the extent that it makes any such provision, cease to have effect.

The reference in this section to committees of local authorities does not include a reference to any committee of which some members are required to be appointed by a body or person other than a local authority.

Without prejudice to the provisions of subsection (1) above, a parish or community council may appoint one or more persons from among their number to be officers of the council, without remuneration.

Nothing in this section affects the operation of section 5 of the 1963 Act or the M28Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970.

Without prejudice to any powers exercisable apart from this section, a local authority may enter into an agreement with another local authority for the placing at the disposal of the latter for the purposes of their functions, on such terms as may be provided by the agreement, of the services of officers employed by the former, but shall not enter into any such agreement with respect to any officer without consulting him.

For superannuation purposes service rendered by an officer of a local authority whose services are placed at the disposal of another local authority in pursuance of this section is service rendered to the authority by whom he is employed, but any such officer shall be treated for the purposes of any enactment relating to the discharge of local authorities’ functions as an officer of that other local authority.

An officer whose services are placed at the disposal of a local authority in pursuance of subsection (1A) of this section shall be treated as an officer of the authority for the purposes of any enactment relating to the discharge of local authorities’ functions.

In subsection (1A) above “NHS trust” means a National Health Service trust established under Part I of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990.

A local authority shall, in the case of an officer employed by them, whether under this or any other enactment, who by reason of his office or employment is likely to be entrusted with the custody or control of money, and may in the case of any other officer employed by them, take such security, for the faithful execution of his office and for his duly accounting for all money or property which may be entrusted to him, as the local authority consider sufficient.

A local authority may, in the case of a person not employed by them but who is likely to be entrusted with the custody or control of money or property belonging to the local authority, take such security as they think sufficient for the person duly accounting for all such money or property.

A local authority shall defray the cost of any security taken under this section, and every such security shall be produced to the auditor at the audit of the accounts of the local authority.

Every officer employed by a local authority, whether under this Act or any other enactment, shall at such times during the continuance of his office or within three months after ceasing to hold it, and in such manner as the local authority direct, make out and deliver to the authority, or in accordance with their directions, a true account in writing of all money and property committed to his charge, and of his receipts and payments, with vouchers and other documents and records supporting the entries therein, and a list of persons from whom or to whom money is due in connection with his office, showing the amount due from or to each.

Every such officer shall pay all money due from him to the proper officer of the local authority or in accordance with their directions.

If it comes to the knowledge of an officer employed, whether under this Act or any other enactment, by a local authority that a contract in which he has any pecuniary interest, whether direct or indirect (not being a contract to which he is himself a party), has been, or is proposed to be, entered into by the authority or any committee thereof, he shall as soon as practicable give notice in writing to the authority of the fact that he is interested therein.

For the purposes of this section an officer shall be treated as having indirectly a pecuniary interest in a contract or proposed contract if he would have been so treated by virtue of section 95 above had he been a member of the authority.

An officer of a local authority shall not, under colour of his office or employment, accept any fee or reward whatsoever other than his proper remuneration.

Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) or (2) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding F236level 4 on the standard scale.

References in this section to a local authority shall include references to a joint committee appointed under Part VI of this Act or any other enactment.

This section applies to any sum payable by a local authority to an officer or pensioner of the authority, or to the widow or widower of a child of a deceased officer or pensioner thereof, by way of remuneration, pension, superannuation or other allowance, gratuity or annuity, or by way of repayment (with or without interest) of contributions made to any superannuation or other fund; and in this subsection the expression “pensioner” includes a person entitled to any pecuniary benefit under any enactment or scheme for the establishment of a superannuation fund or a superannuation and provident fund administered by the local authority.

A local authority shall not in exercise of the powers conferred by subsection (1) above apply in any year in respect of any one person more than £500, or such other sum as may be prescribed.

Before exercising their powers under this section in relation to any patient a local authority shall give to the authority having jurisdiction under F238Part VII of the said Act of 1983 notice in writing of their intention so to do, specifying the name and address of the patient and the amount and nature of the sums in respect of which the local authority intend to exercise those powers, and the local authority shall, at the same time, give notice in writing to the patient in a form approved by the authority having jurisdiction as aforesaid; and, except with the approval of the authority having jurisdiction as aforesaid, the local authority shall not make the first payment under this section in relation to that patient before the expiration of the period of fourteen days beginning with the date of the service of the notice.

If at any time the authority having jurisdiction as aforesaid give to the local authority notice in writing that the first-mentioned authority objects to the exercise by the local authority of their said powers in relation to any patient, those powers shall, as from the date of the receipt by the local authority of the notice, cease to be exercisable by the local authority in relation to that patient unless and until the first-mentioned authority withdraws the notice.

A local authority shall be discharged from all liability in respect of any payment or application of money effected by the authority in exercise of their powers under this section.

If, on the death of any person who is or has been an officer of a local authority, there is due to him or his legal personal representatives from a local authority a sum not exceeding £500 and not being a pension, allowance or gratuity payable by virtue of section 7 of the M29Superannuation Act 1972, the authority may, without requiring the production of probate or letters of administration of the estate of the officer, pay the whole or any part of that sum to the officer’s personal representatives or to the person, or to or among any one or more of any persons, appearing to the authority to be beneficially entitled to the estate of the officer, and any person to whom such a payment is made, and not the authority, shall be liable to account for the sum paid to him under this subsection.

The authority may, if they think fit, pay out of the said sum the funeral expenses of the officer or so much thereof as they consider reasonable F239. . .

Subsection (1) above shall be included among the provisions with respect to which the Treasury may make an order under section 6(1) of the M30Administration of Estates (Small Payments) Act 1965, substituting for references to £500 references to such higher amount as may be specified in the order.

Where provision has been made by regulations under section 7(1)(b) of the said Act of 1972 with respect to the pensions, allowances or gratuities which in certain circumstances are to be, or may be, paid to or in respect of any persons or classes of persons, the Secretary of State may by regulations provide for the application of the foregoing provisions of this section to such of those persons or classes of persons as may be specified in the regulations.

A principal council may acquire by agreement any land for any purpose for which they are authorised by this or any other enactment to acquire land, notwithstanding that the land is not immediately required for that purpose; and, until it is required for the purpose for which it was acquired, any land acquired under this subsection may be used for the purpose of any of the council’s functions.

Where under this section a council are authorised to acquire land by agreement, the provisions of Part I of the M31Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 (so far as applicable) other than section 31 shall apply, and in the said Part I as so applied the word “land” shall have the meaning assigned to it by this Act.

Where two or more councils acting together would have power to acquire any land by agreement by virtue of this section, nothing in any enactment shall prevent one of those councils from so acquiring the land on behalf of both or all of them in accordance with arrangements made between them, including arrangements as to the subsequent occupation and use of the land.

References in the foregoing provisions of this section to acquisition by agreement are references to acquisition for money or money’s worth, as purchaser or lessee.

Subject to subsection (2) below, for any purpose for which they are authorised by this or any other public general Act to acquire land, a principal council may be authorised by the Minister concerned with that purpose to purchase compulsorily any land, whether situated inside or outside their area.

The F240Acquisition of Land Act 1981 shall apply in relation to the compulsory purchase of land in pursuance of subsection (1) above F241. . ..

Subject to the following provisions of this section, a principal council may appropriate for any purpose for which the council are authorised by this or any other enactment to acquire land by agreement any land which belongs to the council and is no longer required for the purpose for which it is held immediately before the appropriation; but the appropriation of land by a council by virtue of this subsection shall be subject to the rights of other persons in, over or in respect of the land concerned.

A principal council may not appropriate under subsection (1) above any land consisting or forming part of an open space unless before appropriating the land they cause notice of their intention to do so, specifying the land in question, to be advertised in two consecutive weeks in a newspaper circulating in the area in which the land is situated, and consider any objections to the proposed appropriation which may be made to them.

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Where land has been acquired under this Act or any other enactment or any statutory order incorporating the Lands Clauses Acts and is subsequently appropriated under this section, any work executed on the land after the appropriation has been effected shall be treated for the purposes of section 68 of the M33Lands Clauses Consolidation Act 1845 and section 10 of the M34Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 as having been authorised by the enactment or statutory order under which the land was acquired.

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Subject to the following provisions of this section, a principal council may dispose of land held by them in any manner they wish.

Except with the consent of the Secretary of State, a council shall not dispose of land under this section, otherwise than by way of a short tenancy, for a consideration less than the best that can reasonably be obtained.

A principal council may not dispose under subsection (1) above of any land consisting or forming part of an open space unless before disposing of the land they cause notice of their intention to do so, specifying the land in question, to be advertised in two consecutive weeks in a newspaper circulating in the area in which the land is situated, and consider any objections to the proposed disposal which may be made to them.

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Where under this section a parish or community council are authorised to acquire land by agreement, the provisions of Part I of the M35Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 (so far as applicable) other than section 31 shall apply, and in the said Part I as so applied the word “land” shall have the meaning assigned to it by this Act.

References in the foregoing provisions of this section to acquisition by agreement are references to acquisition for money or money’s worth, as purchaser or lessee.

If the district council are satisfied that suitable land for the purpose cannot be acquired on reasonable terms by agreement, they may be authorised by the Secretary of State to purchase compulsorily the land or part of it; and the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 shall apply in relation to the purchase.

The district council in making and the Secretary of State in confirming an order for the purposes of this section shall have regard to the extent of land held in the neighbourhood by an owner and to the convenience of other property belonging to the same owner and shall, as far as practicable, avoid taking an undue or inconvenient quantity of land from any one owner.

The order shall be carried into effect by the district council but the land when acquired shall be conveyed to the parish or community council; and accordingly in construing for the purposes of this section and of the order any enactment applying in relation to the compulsory acquisition, the parish or community council or the district council, or the two councils jointly, shall, as the case may require, be treated as the acquiring authority.

The district council may recover from the parish or community council the expenses incurred by them in connection with the acquisition of land under this section.

Any land belonging to a parish or community council which is not required for the purposes for which it was acquired or has since been appropriated may, subject to the following provisions of this section, be appropriated by the council for any other purpose for which the council are authorised by this or any other public general Act to acquire land by agreement.

In the case of a parish which does not have a separate parish council, any land belonging to the parish meeting which is not required for the purposes for which it was acquired or has since been appropriated may, subject to the following provisions of this section, be appropriated by the parish meeting for any other purpose approved by the Secretary of State.

The appropriation of land by virtue of this section by a parish or community council or by a parish meeting shall be subject to the rights of other persons in, over or in respect of the land concerned.

Neither a parish or community council nor a parish meeting may appropriate by virtue of this section any land consisting or forming part of an open space unless before appropriating the land they cause notice of their intention to do so, specifying the land in question, to be advertised in two consecutive weeks in a newspaper circulating in the area in which the land is situated, and consider any objections to the proposed appropriation which may be made to them.

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Where land has been acquired under this Act or any other enactment or any statutory order incorporating the Lands Clauses Acts and is subsequently appropriated under this section any work executed on the land after the appropriation has been effected shall be treated for the purposes of section 68 of the M36Lands Clauses Consolidation Act 1845 and section 10 of the M37Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 as having been authorised by the enactment or statutory order under which the land was acquired.

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Subject to the following provisions of this section, a parish or community council, or the parish trustees of a parish acting with the consent of the parish meeting, may dispose of land held by them in any manner they wish.

Except with the consent of the Secretary of State, land shall not be disposed of under this section, otherwise than by way of a short tenancy, for a consideration less than the best that can reasonably be obtained.

Subsections (2A) and (2B) of section 123 above shall apply in relation to the disposal of land under this section as they apply in relation to the disposal of land under that section, with the substitution of a reference to a parish or community council or the parish trustees of a parish for the reference to a principal in the said subsection (2A).

Capital money received in respect of a disposal under this section of land held for charitable purposes shall be applied in accordance with any directions given under F261the Charities Act 1993.

Notwithstanding that principal councils are authorities to whom Part II of the M38Town and Country Planning Act 1959 applies, sections 22, 23 and 26 of that Act (provisions relating to consents required for the exercise of powers of acquisition, appropriation and disposal of land) shall not apply in relation to the exercise by principal councils of powers conferred by this Part of this Act, and in section 29 of that Act (protection of purchasers) references to an authority to whom the said Part II applies shall be construed as though that expression did not include a principal council.

In this section “local authority” includes a parish meeting and the parish trustees of a parish.

With the consent of the Secretary of State, any purchase money or compensation payable in pursuance of the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act by a local authority in respect of any land acquired from another local authority, being money or compensation which would, apart from this section, be required to be paid into court in accordance with the M39Compulsory Purchase Act 1965, may, instead of being so paid, be paid and applied as the Secretary of State may determine.

A decision of the Secretary of State under this section shall be final.

Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act shall affect the operation of F268F269section 36 of the Charities Act 1993 (restrictions on disposition of charity land) and, in particular, none of those provisions shall be treated as giving any such authority for a transaction as is referred to in F269section 36(9)(a) of that Act (certain statutorily authorised transactions not to require the sanction of the Charity Commissioners).

In this section “local authority” includes a parish meeting and the parish trustees of a parish.

If, by reason of the use of a room for any of the purposes mentioned in subsection (1) or (2) above, any expense is incurred by persons having control of the room, or any damage is done to the room or the building of which it is part or to its appurtenances, or to the furniture of the room or any teaching aids, the expense or the cost of making good the damage shall be defrayed as an expense of the parish or community council or parish or community meeting.

If any question arises under this section as to what is reasonable or suitable, it may be determined by the Secretary of State.

A local authority may make standing orders with respect to the making of contracts by them or on their behalf.

A local authority shall make standing orders with respect to the making by them or on their behalf of contracts for the supply of goods or materials or for the execution of works.

Standing orders made by a local authority with respect to contracts for the supply of goods or materials or for the execution of works shall include provision for securing competition for such contracts and for regulating the manner in which tenders are invited, but may exempt from any such provision contracts for a price below that specified in standing orders and may authorise the authority to exempt any contract from any such provision when the authority are satisfied that the exemption is justified by special circumstances.

A person entering into a contract with a local authority shall not be bound to inquire whether the standing orders of the authority which apply to the contract have been complied with, and non-compliance with such orders shall not invalidate any contract entered into by or on behalf of the authority.

It is hereby declared that the power of a local authority to incur expenditure under subsection (1) above includes power to do so by contributing towards the defraying of expenditure by another local authority in or in connection with the exercise of that other authority’s functions.

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For the purposes of subsection (4)(b) above the relevant population of a local authority’s area shall be determined in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State; and a statutory instrument containing such regulations shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of the House of Commons.

For the purpose of determining whether a local authority have exceeded the limit set out in subsection (4) above, their expenditure in any financial year under this section shall be taken to be the difference between their gross expenditure under this section for that year and the aggregate of the amounts specified in subsection (4B) below.