2003 No. 3087

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND

The City of Wakefield (Electoral Changes) Order 2003

Made28th November 2003

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2) and 1(3)

Whereas the Boundary Committee for England1, acting pursuant to section 15(4) of the Local Government Act 19922, has submitted to the Electoral Commission3 recommendations dated July 2003 on its review of the city4 of Wakefield:

And whereas the Electoral Commission have decided to give effect to those recommendations:

And whereas a period of not less than six weeks has expired since the receipt of those recommendations:

Now, therefore, the Electoral Commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 175 and 266 of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Order:

Citation and commencement1

1

This Order may be cited as the City of Wakefield (Electoral Changes) Order 2003.

2

This Order, with the exception of articles 5 and 6, shall come into force —

a

for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004, on the day after that on which it is made;

b

for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004.

3

Articles 5 and 6 shall come into force —

a

for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of a parish councillor for the parishes of Featherstone and Normanton to be held on the ordinary day of elections in 2007, on 15th October 2006;

b

for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of elections in 2007.

Interpretation2

In this Order —

“city” means the city of Wakefield;
“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 marked “Map referred to in the City of Wakefield (Electoral Changes) Order 2003”, of which prints are available for inspection at —
1. a
  the principal office of the Electoral Commission; and
2. b
  the offices of the council of the city of Wakefield; and
any reference to a numbered sheet is a reference to the sheet of the map which bears that number.

Wards of the city of Wakefield3

1

The existing wards of the city7 shall be abolished.

2

The city shall be divided into twenty-one wards which shall bear the names set out in the Schedule.

3

Each ward shall comprise 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 three.

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 city of Wakefield4

1

Elections of all councillors for all wards of the city shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 20048 9.

2

The councillors holding office for any ward of the city immediately before the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that date.

3

Of the councillors elected in 2004 for any ward of the city one shall retire in 2006, one in 2007 and one in 2008.

4

Of the councillors elected in 2004 for any ward of the city —

a

the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (6) and (7), be the councillor elected by the smallest 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.

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 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 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.

Wards of the parish of Featherstone5

1

The existing wards of the parish of Featherstone shall be abolished.

2

The parish shall be divided into six parish wards which shall bear the names Ackton Pasture, Central, East, North-West, South and Western Gales Way; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheets 2 and 3 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

3

The number of councillors to be elected for each of the North-West and South parish wards shall be three, for each of the Central and East parish wards shall be two, and for each of the Ackton Pasture and Western Gales Way parish wards shall be one.

Wards of the parish of Normanton6

1

The existing wards of the parish of Normanton shall be abolished.

2

The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Altofts, Normanton, Normanton Common and Woodhouse; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheets 1 and 2 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

3

The number of councillors to be elected for each of the Altofts and Normanton parish wards shall be seven, for the Woodhouse parish ward shall be six, and for the Normanton Common parish ward shall be two.

Maps7

The council of the city of Wakefield shall make a print of the map marked “Map referred to in the City of Wakefield (Electoral Changes) Order 2003” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.

Electoral registers8

The Electoral Registration Officer10 for the city shall make such rearrangement of, or adaptation of, the register of local government electors as may be necessary for the purposes of, and in consequence of, this Order.

Revocation9

The City of Wakefield (Electoral Arrangements) Order 198011 is revoked, save for articles 8 and 9(7).

Sealed with the seal of the Electoral Commission on the 28th day of November 2003

Sam YoungerChairman of the Commission28th November 2003

Jacqui DixonSecretary to the Commission28th November 2003

SCHEDULENAMES OF WARDS

article 3

Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton	Horbury and South Ossett	Stanley and Outwood East
Airedale and Ferry Fryston	Knottingley	Wakefield East
Altofts and Whitwood	Normanton	Wakefield North
Castleford Central and Glasshoughton	Ossett	Wakefield Rural
Crofton, Ryhill and Walton	Pontefract North	Wakefield South
Featherstone	Pontefract South	Wakefield West
Hemsworth	South Elmsall and South Kirkby	Wrenthorpe and Outwood West

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect to recommendations by the Boundary Committee for England, a committee of the Electoral Commission, for electoral changes in the city of Wakefield.

The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004.

Article 3 abolishes the existing wards of the city and provides for the creation of 21 new wards. That article and the Schedule also make provision for the names and areas of, and numbers of councillors for, the new wards.

Article 4 makes provision for a whole council election in 2004 and for reversion to the established system of election by thirds in subsequent years.

Articles 5 and 6 make electoral changes in the parishes of Featherstone and Normanton.

Article 8 obliges the Electoral Registration Officer to make any necessary amendments to the electoral register to reflect the new electoral arrangements.

Article 9 revokes the City of Wakefield (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1980, with the exception of articles 8 and 9(7).

The areas of the new city and parish wards are demarcated on the map described in article 2. Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of the council of the city of Wakefield and at the principal office of the Electoral Commission at Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2HW.