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The counties which were created by this Act, as originally enacted, as counties in Wales, and the districts within them, shall cease to exist on 1st April 1996 except that the preserved counties shall continue in existence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.

Where a council falling within subsection (1) are operating executive arrangements which involve a mayor and cabinet executive or a mayor and council manager executive, the council shall consist of an elected mayor, 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.

Where a council falling within subsection (1) are operating executive arrangements which involve a mayor and cabinet executive or a mayor and council manager executive, the council shall consist of an elected mayor, a chairman and 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 principal council shall have precedence in the area of that council, but not so as to affect Her Majesty’s prerogative prejudicially.

Subsection (4) above shall have effect in relation to a principal council which are operating executive arrangements which involve a mayor and cabinet executive or a mayor and council manager executive as if it provided for the elected mayor of the council to have precedence in the area of that council, but this subsection shall not apply if the executive arrangements provide for it not to apply.

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.

A member of the executive of a principal council may not be appointed as the 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 F9Representation 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”.

This section does not apply where a county borough council are operating executive arrangements which involve a mayor and cabinet executive or a mayor and council manager executive.

The ordinary elections of councillors of the new principal councils shall take place in F142004 and in every fourth year after F142004.

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

A meeting of the local government electors for a community (“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 community councils in existence on 1st April 1996 shall, subject to any provision made under this Act, continue in existence after that date.

The principal council within whose area the community lies shall, before 1st October 1997, take such steps as may be prescribed with a view to securing that there is both an English and a Welsh name for the community.

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The Secretary of State may, on an application made by F17the Welsh Commission at any time when conducting a review under Part IV of this Act or on an application by a F20principal 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 F21subsection (1) 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 F22area 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 F23, 29 or 29A above.

An order made by a F24principal council under section F2528, 29 or 29A above may contain such incidental, consequential, transitional or supplementary provision as may appear to the F24principal 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 be a body corporate consisting of the chairman and community councillors and shall have the functions given to them by this Act or otherwise.

A community council need not have a common seal.

Where a community council do not have a 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.

In this section—

• “relevant community council”, in relation to a principal council, means the council of any community which is, or group of communities which are, within the area of the principal council; and

• “relevant principal council”, in relation to any community council, means the principal council within whose area the community is, or group of communities are, situated.

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 F28Representation of the People Act 1983.

There shall be ordinary elections of community councillors in F302004 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.