Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007

Requests for single-member electoral areas in England

55 Requests for single-member electoral areas

In the Local Government Act 1992 (c. 19), after section 14 insert—

“14A Requests for single-member electoral areas

(1) A principal council which falls within subsection (3) may request the Electoral Commission—

(a) to give the Boundary Committee for England a direction under section 13(3) relating to the council’s area, and

(b) to direct that Committee (under section 13(6)) that their recommendations under section 13(3) must contain recommendations as to single-member electoral areas.

(2) In subsection (1) “recommendations as to single-member electoral areas” means a recommendation, as respects each electoral area in the council’s area, as to whether the electoral area should return one councillor.

(3) A principal council falls within this subsection if—

(a) it is not the case that each of the electoral areas in the council’s area returns one councillor, and

(b) the council is subject to a scheme for whole-council elections.

(4) A council is “subject to a scheme for whole-council elections” if, in each year in which ordinary elections of councillors of the council are to be held, all the councillors are to be elected.

(5) If the Electoral Commission grant a request under this section—

(a) they must notify the Boundary Committee for England of the request when they give the directions requested, and

(b) subject to subsection (6), where the Boundary Committee for England make recommendations under section 13(3) in response to those directions they must recommend that each electoral area in the council’s area should return one councillor.

(6) Subsection (5)(b) does not require the Boundary Committee for England to make any recommendation that they consider would be inappropriate having regard to the matters which they are required by section 13(5)(a) to (c) to have regard to.

(7) If the Electoral Commission decide not to grant a request under this section they must notify the council that made the request of—

(a) their decision, and

(b) the reasons for it.

14B Provision supplementary to section 14A

(1) Nothing in section 14A prevents the Electoral Commission—

(a) from making a direction under section 13 where there has been no request under section 14A, or

(b) if they grant a request under section 14A, from making directions under section 13(6) in addition to the one requested.

(2) Nothing in section 14A prevents the Boundary Committee for England, when making a recommendation as to whether electoral areas should return one councillor, from making other recommendations under section 13(3).

(3) In section 14A(2) and (5) references to electoral areas are, in relation to a case where the Boundary Committee for England make recommendations for change to the number or boundaries of electoral areas in the council’s area, to the recommended electoral areas.”