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

The provisions of Schedule 7 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the English Commission.

The English Commission shall not make any proposals to the Secretary of State under this section for a substantive change of electoral arrangements for a parish except in accordance with section 50(7) below.

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For the purposes of subsection 1(b) and (c) above metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts are areas of a like description.

The Secretary of State may by direction given to the English Commission vary the length of any interval specified in subsection (1) above either as respects the whole review or as respects any particular case or class of case.

At a time when the English Commission are not conducting a review under subsection (1) above, they may, subject to section 49(5) below, review all or any, or any part, of the areas mentioned in subsection (1)(a) above or of the boundaries mentioned in subsection (1)(b) above for the purpose of considering whether or not to make such proposals in relation to them as are authorised by section 47 above and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

If the English Commission receive a request from a local authority or parish meeting that the Commission should conduct a review under subsection (3) above with respect to any area or boundary in England in which the authority or meeting appear to the Commission to be interested, the Commission shall consider the request.

Subject to section 49(5) below, it shall be the duty of the English Commission to keep under review all non-metropolitan districts for the purpose of considering whether or not to make such proposals in relation to any such districts as are authorised by section 47 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 or parish meeting appearing to the Commission to be interested in any such district that the Commission should make such proposals, and in either case the Commission shall, 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 M2New 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 English Commisssion 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, subject to section 49(5) below, 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 47 above and what proposals, if any, to make, and the Commission shall, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

Subject to section 49(5) below, the English Commission may at any time review the boundaries between the Inner Temple or the Middle Temple and the City or the City of Westminster for the purpose of considering whether or not to make such proposals with respect to any such boundaries as are authorised by section 47 above and what proposals, if any, to make and shall, unless to do so would in their opinion impede the proper discharge of their functions, consider any request made with respect to any such boundaries by the Common Council, the Council of the City of Westminster, the Sub-Treasurer of the Inner Temple or the Under Treasurer of the Middle Temple, and in either case the Commission shall, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

Subject to section 49(5) below, it shall be the duty of the council for each district in England to keep the whole of their district under review for the purpose of considering whether or not to make recommendations to the English Commission for such proposals with respect to the constitution of new parishes, the abolition of parishes or the alteration of parishes in their district as are authorised by section 47 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 parish council or parish meeting appearing to the district council to be interested, and the district council shall from time to time report to the Commission accordingly.

The English Commission shall consider any report made under subsection (8) above with respect to any district in England 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 47 above and what proposals, if any, to make and may, if they think fit, formulate such proposals accordingly.

The Secretary of State may direct the English Commission to conduct a review of the principal areas in England as a whole, or of any one or more local government areas or parts of such areas in England, for the purpose of considering whether or not to make such proposals in relation to the area reviewed as are authorised by section 47 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 English Commission or otherwise, direct the council of a district in England 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 parishes, the abolition of parishes or the alteration of parishes in their district as are authorised by section 47 above and what recommendations, if any, to make, and to report to the Commission accordingly within a period specified in the direction.

The English Commission shall consider any report made under subsection (2) above with respect to any district in England 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 47 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 English Commission, the Secretary of State may direct the English 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.

No review shall be conducted under section 48 or 49 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 English Commission not less than ten or more than fifteen years after the completion of the initial review of the electoral arrangements for counties under Schedule 9 below 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 England . . . F8 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 English Commission may at any time, whether at the request of a local authority or otherwise, review the electoral arrangements for a principal area in England . . . F8 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 England to keep under review the electoral arrangements for the parishes (if any) 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 request made with respect to those arrangements by the council for, or not less than thirty local government electors of, any parish 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 English Commission may, on a request made by the council for, or not less than thirty local government electors of, any parish, review the electoral arrangements for the parish 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 English 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 English 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.

No representations shall be made after the passing of this Act under paragraph 1 of Part III of Schedule 1 to the 1963 Act (consideration of electoral arrangements for London boroughs).

The Secretary of State may if he thinks fit by order give effect to any proposals made to him by the 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.

Any statutory instrument containing an order under this section which alters the area of a county, district or London borough, the City, the Inner Temple or the Middle Temple or abolishes a county, district or London borough shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

The Secretary of State may give the English Commission or the council of a district in England directions for their guidance in conducting reviews under section 48, 49 or 50 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 all or any class of the principal areas in England 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 English Commission with respect to the order in which areas or electoral arrangements are to be reviewed by them under any provision of section 48 or 49 above.

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 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 M3New 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 direct the Welsh Commission to conduct a review of Wales as a whole, or of any one or more local government areas or parts of such areas in Wales, for the purpose of considering whether or not to make such proposals in relation to the area reviewed 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 local government 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 counties under Schedule 10 below 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.

Any statutory instrument containing an order under this section which alters the area of a county or district or abolishes a county or district shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

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 all or any class of 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.

A Commission or 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 a 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 a Commission or, as the case may be, a district council are to conduct a review under this Part of this Act or by which a 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 a 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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A Commission or 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 English Commission and the Welsh Commission may jointly review the boundary between a county in England and a county in Wales and, with the consent of the councils of both counties, make joint proposals to the Secretary of State for making alterations to the boundary appearing to the Commissions desirable in the interests of effective and convenient local government and for making consequential changes to the electoral arrangements for any area in those counties.

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 Commissions.

The Secretary of State may give both the Commissions directions for their guidance in conducting a review and making proposals under this section.

Where the Commissions have in accordance with this section completed a review thereunder, they shall submit to the Secretary of State a report on the review together with the proposals they have formulated or, as the case may be, a notification that they have no proposals to put forward, and section 60(5) above shall apply to the report and proposals as it applies to any report or proposals mentioned therein.

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this section, the procedure of the Commissions for conducting a review under this section shall be such as they may determine.

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 such modifications as he may agree with the county councils concerned.

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.

In the case of the boundary between a metropolitan county and a county in Wales the references in subsection (1) above to the councils of both counties and in subsection (7) above to the county councils concerned shall be treated as references to the council of the metropolitan district and the council of the county in Wales between which the boundary lies.

At the request of a 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.

At the request of the Commissions 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.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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.

A Commission may 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 a 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 a 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 or community under this section shall be annexed to and incorporated with the district and county in which that parish or 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 conferred by the M6Land Drainage Act 1930 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 the English Commission 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.

Subject to subsection (5) below, the council of a county, 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, 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.

A change of name made in pursuance of this section F17or by virtue of a resolution under section 21(5) above shall not affect any rights or obligations of any county, 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.

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 F18or 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 this Part of this Act—

• “electoral arrangements” means—

  1. a

     in relation to a principal area, the number of councillors of the council for that area, the number and boundaries of the electoral areas into which that area is for the time being divided for the purpose of the election of councillors, the number of councillors to be elected for any electoral area in that principal area and the name of any electoral area;

  2. b

     in relation to a parish or community council or a common parish or community council, the number of councillors, the question whether the parish or community or any parish or community, as the case may be, should or should not be or continue to be divided into wards for the purpose of the election of councillors, the number and boundaries of any such wards, the number of councillors to be elected for any such ward or in the case of a common parish or community council for each parish or community and the name of any such ward;

  3. c

     F19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• “local government area” includes the City, the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple;

• “public body” includes any compensation authority for the purposes of the M7Licensing Act 1964.

• “substantive change” has the meaning assigned to it by section 47(1)(i) above.

In considering the electoral arrangements for local government areas for the purposes of this Part of this Act, the Secretary of State, each of the Commissions and every district council shall so far as is reasonably practicable comply with the rules set out F20in Schedule 11 to this Act.