The number of parish councillors for each parish F1shall not be less than five.

Parish councillors shall be elected by the local government electors for the parish in accordance with this Act and Part I of the F2Representation 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.