1998 No. 2557
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND AND WALES

The Borough of Stevenage (Electoral Changes) Order 1998

Made
Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)
Whereas the Local Government Commission for England, acting pursuant to section 15(4) of the Local Government Act 19921, has submitted to the Secretary of State a report dated February 1998 on its review of the borough of Stevenage2 together with its recommendations:

And whereas the Secretary of State has decided to give effect to those recommendations:

Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 173 and 26 of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:

Citation, commencement and interpretation1.

(1)

This Order may be cited as the Borough of Stevenage (Electoral Changes) Order 1998.

(2)

This Order shall come into force on 6th May 1999, except that for the purpose of all proceedings preliminary or relating to an election to be held on or after that date it shall come into force on the day after that on which it is made.

(3)

In this Order–

“the borough” means the borough of Stevenage;

“existing”, in relation to a ward, means the ward as it exists on the date this Order is made; and

any reference to “the map” is a reference to the map prepared by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, marked “Map of the Borough of Stevenage (Electoral Changes) Order 1998”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 19944.

Wards of Stevenage2.

(1)

The existing wards of the borough5 shall be abolished.

(2)

The borough shall be divided into thirteen wards which shall bear the names set out in the Schedule.

(3)

The wards shall comprise the areas designated on the map by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by red lines.

(4)

The number of councillors to be elected for each ward shall be three.

(5)

Where a boundary is shown on the map as running along a road, railway line, footway, waterway or other similar geographical feature, it shall be treated as running along the centre line of the feature.

Elections of the council of Stevenage3.

(1)

Subject to the following provisions of this article, the election of councillors for wards of the borough shall be by thirds.

(2)

Elections of all councillors for wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 19996.

(3)

The councillors holding office for any ward in the borough immediately before 10th May 1999 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors for any such ward shall come into office on that date.

(4)

Of the councillors elected in 1999 in each ward of the borough–

(a)

one-third shall retire in 2000 being, subject to paragraphs (5) and (6) below, the councillor elected in each ward by the smallest number of votes;

(b)

one third shall retire in 2002 being, subject as aforesaid, the councillor elected in each ward by the next smallest number of votes; and

(c)

the remaining councillor in each ward shall retire in 2003.

(5)

In the case of an equality of votes between any persons elected which makes it uncertain which of them is to retire in any such year, the person to retire in that year shall be determined by lot.

(6)

If an election of councillors for any ward is not contested, the person to retire in each such year shall be determined by lot.

(7)

Where under this article any question is to be determined by lot, the lot shall be drawn at the next practicable meeting of the council after the question has arisen and the drawing shall be conducted under the direction of the person presiding at the meeting.

(8)

Except as otherwise provided in the foregoing paragraphs of this article, the term of office of councillors shall be four years and all councillors shall retire on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in the year of retirement and the newly elected councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

Revocation4.

The Borough of Stevenage (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976 is hereby revoked.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State

Hilary Armstrong
Minister of State,
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

SCHEDULENAMES OF WARDS

Article 2

  • Bandley Hill

  • Bedwell

  • Chells

  • Longmeadow

  • Manor

  • Martins Wood

  • Old Town

  • Pin Green

  • Roebuck

  • St Nicholas

  • Shephall

  • Symonds Green

  • Woodfield

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England for electoral changes in the borough of Stevenage.

Article 2 abolishes all of the existing wards of the district and provides for the creation of 13 new wards. The Schedule makes provision for the names of the new wards.

Article 3 makes provision for a whole council election in Stevenage in 1999 and for reversion to elections by thirds in subsequent years.

The areas of the new borough wards are demarcated on the map described in article 1(3). Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of Stevenage Borough Council and at the offices of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which are located at 2nd Floor, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.