The District of Cannock Chase (Electoral Changes) Order 2001

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the District of Cannock Chase (Electoral Changes) Order 2001.

(2) This article and articles 2, 3, 8 and 9 shall come into force—

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 2nd May 2002, on 10th October 2001;

(b) for all other purposes, on 2nd May 2002.

(3) Articles 4 to 7 of this Order shall come into force—

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of a parish councillor for the parishes of Brindley Heath, Heath Hayes and Wimblebury, Hednesford and Rugeley to be held on 1st May 2003, on 10th October 2002.

(b) for all other purposes, on 1st May 2003.

(4) In this Order—

“district” means the district of Cannock Chase;

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

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 District of Cannock Chase (Electoral Changes) Order 2001”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994(1); and

any reference to a numbered sheet is a reference to the sheet of the map which bears that number.

Wards of the district of Cannock Chase

2.—(1) The existing wards of the district(2) shall be abolished.

(2) The district shall be divided into fifteen wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 1.

(3) The wards shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of that Schedule by reference to parishes or, where an area is not so described, the area designated on the map by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by red lines; and the number of councillors to be elected for each ward shall be the number specified in respect of the ward in column (3) of that Schedule.

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

Elections of the council of the district of Cannock Chase

3.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this article, the election of councillors for wards of the district shall be by thirds.

(2) Elections of all councillors for all wards of the district shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002(3).

(3) The councillors holding office for any ward of the district immediately before 6th May 2002 shall retire on that date and the newly-elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that date.

(4) The order of retirement of councillors shall be as set out in Schedule 2.

(5) Of the councillors elected in 2002 for any ward of the district—

(a) the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (6) and (7), be the councillor elected by the smaller number of votes; and

(b) the second to retire shall, subject to those paragraphs, be the councillor elected by the next smallest number of votes.

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

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

(8) 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.

(9) Except as otherwise provided in the preceding 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.

Wards of the parish of Brindley Heath

4.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Brindley Heath shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 3; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule; and the number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be the number specified in respect of the parish ward in column (3) of that Schedule.

Wards of the parish of Heath Hayes and Wimblebury

5.—(1) The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Hawks Green, New Heath Hayes, Old Heath Hayes and Wimblebury; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 3 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(2) The number of councillors to be elected for the Old Heath Hayes parish ward shall be four and for each of the Hawks Green, New Heath Hayes and Wimblebury parish wards shall be three.

Wards of the parish of Hednesford

6.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Hednesford shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 4; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule; and the number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be the number specified in respect of the parish ward in column (3) of that Schedule.

Wards of the parish of Rugeley

7.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Rugeley shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into three parish wards which shall bear the names Etching Hill, Hagley and Western Springs; the parish wards of Hagley and Western Springs shall be coterminous with the district wards of the same name, and the Etching Hill parish ward shall consist of the rest of the parish.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each of the Etching Hill and Western Springs parish wards shall be seven, and for the Hagley parish ward shall be five.

Parish elections

8.—(1) The term of office of every parish councillor elected on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2000(4) for the parish of Cannock Wood shall be three years; and each such councillor shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003.

(2) Elections of all parish councillors for the parish of Cannock Wood shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003 and every fourth year after 2003.

(3) The councillors elected in accordance with paragraph (2) in 2003 shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

(4) Where any provision of an Order made before the making of this Order requires an election of parish councillors for the parish of Cannock Wood to be held on a date other than that for which paragraph (1) of this article provides, it shall cease to have effect to that extent.

Revocation

9.  The District of Cannock Chase (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976 is hereby revoked.

Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Beverley Hughes

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

10th April 2001