Statutory Instruments
2004 No. 3245
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND
The County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2004
Made
9th December 2004
Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2), 1(3) and 1(4)
Whereas the Boundary Committee for England(1), acting pursuant to section 15(4) of the Local Government Act 1992(2), has submitted to the Electoral Commission(3) recommendations dated July 2004 on its review of the county of Bedfordshire:
And whereas the Electoral Commission have decided to give effect, with modifications, to those recommendations:
And whereas a period of not less than six weeks has expired since the receipt of those recommendations:
Citation and commencement
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2004.
(2) This Order, with the exception of articles 4, 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 2005, on the day after that on which it is made;
(b)for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2005.
(3) Articles 4 and 5 shall come into force –
(a)for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of a parish councillor for the parishes of Biddenham and Kempston to be held on the ordinary day of elections in 2006, on 15th October 2005;
(b)for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of elections in 2006.
(4) Article 6 shall come into force –
(a)for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of a parish councillor for the parish of Sandy 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.
Interpretation
2. In this Order –
“county” means the county of Bedfordshire;
“existing”, in relation to an electoral division or ward, means the electoral division or ward as it exists on the date this Order is made;
references to wards, unless the context otherwise requires, are references to district and borough wards in the county(6);
any reference to the map is a reference to the map marked “Map referred to in the County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2004”, of which prints are available for inspection at –
the principal office of the Electoral Commission; and
the offices of Bedfordshire County Council; and
any reference to a numbered sheet is a reference to the sheet of the map which bears that number.
Electoral divisions of the county of Bedfordshire
3.—(1) The existing electoral divisions of the county(7) shall be abolished.
(2) The county shall be divided into forty-six electoral divisions which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of the Schedule.
(3) The electoral divisions shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of the Schedule by reference to wards, parishes, or parish wards or, where an area is not so described, the area designated on the map by reference to the name of the electoral division and demarcated by red lines; and the number of councillors to be elected for each electoral division shall be the number specified in respect of the electoral division in column (3) of the 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.
Wards of the parish of Biddenham
4.—(1) The parish of Biddenham shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names Biddenham North and Biddenham South; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 2 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.
(2) The number of councillors to be elected for the Biddenham South parish ward shall be five and for the Biddenham North parish ward shall be four.
Wards of the parish of Kempston
5.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Kempston shall be abolished.
(2) The parish shall be divided into five parish wards which shall bear the names Ampthill Road, East, North, South and West; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 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 East and South parish wards shall be four, for the North parish ward shall be three and for each of the Ampthill Road and West parish wards shall be one.
Wards of the parish of Sandy
6.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Sandy shall be abolished.
(2) The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Beeston, Fallowfield, Ivel and Pinnacle; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 2 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.
(3) The number of councillors to be elected for the Pinnacle parish ward shall be six, for the Ivel parish ward shall be five, for the Fallowfield parish ward shall be three and for the Beeston parish ward shall be one.
Maps
7. Bedfordshire County Council shall make a print of the map marked “Map referred to in the County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2004” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.
Electoral registers
8. The Electoral Registration Officer(8) for each district or borough in the county 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.
Revocation
9. The County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1985(9) is revoked, save for article 5.
Sealed with the seal of the Electoral Commission on the 9th day of December 2004
L.S.
Sam Younger
Chairman of the Commission
9th December 2004
Jacqui Dixon
Secretary to the Commission
9th December 2004
article 3
SCHEDULENAMES AND AREAS OF ELECTORAL DIVISIONS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS
| Column (1) | Column (2) | Column (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Name of Electoral Division | Area of Electoral Division | Number of Councillors |
| In the borough of Bedford | ||
| Brickhill | Brickhill ward | 1 |
| Bromham | Bromham parish; Biddenham North parish ward of Biddenham parish | 1 |
| Cauldwell | Cauldwell ward | 1 |
| Clapham and Oakley | Clapham ward; Oakley ward | 1 |
| De Parys | 1 | |
| Eastcotts | Eastcotts ward; Cople parish; Great Barford parish; Willington parish | 1 |
| Goldington | Goldington ward | 1 |
| Harpur | Harpur ward | 1 |
| Harrold | Carlton ward; Harrold ward; Sharnbrook ward | 1 |
| Kempston | 2 | |
| Kempston Rural | Turvey ward; Biddenham South parish ward of Biddenham parish; West parish ward of Kempston parish; Hardwick parish ward of Kempston Rural parish | 1 |
| Kingsbrook | Kingsbrook ward | 1 |
| Newnham | 1 | |
| North East Bedfordshire | Riseley ward; Roxton ward; Ravensden parish; Renhold North parish ward of Renhold parish | 1 |
| Putnoe | Putnoe ward | 1 |
| Queens Park | 1 | |
| Wilshamstead | Wilshamstead ward | 1 |
| Wootton | Wootton ward | 1 |
| In the district of Mid Bedfordshire | ||
| Ampthill | Ampthill ward | 1 |
| Biggleswade | Biggleswade Holme ward; Biggleswade Ivel ward; Biggleswade Stratton ward | 2 |
| Cranfield | Cranfield ward | 1 |
| Flitwick East | Flitton, Greenfield and Pulloxhill ward; Flitwick East ward | 1 |
| Flitwick West | Flitwick West ward | 1 |
| Langford and Henlow Village | Langford and Henlow Village ward; Clifton parish | 1 |
| Marston | Marston ward | 1 |
| Maulden and Houghton Conquest | Maulden and Clophill ward; Haynes parish; Houghton Conquest parish | 1 |
| Northill and Blunham | Northill and Blunham ward; Old Warden parish; Southill parish; Beeston and Fallowfield parish wards of Sandy parish | 1 |
| Potton | Potton and Wensley ward | 1 |
| Sandy | Ivel and Pinnacle parish wards of Sandy parish | 1 |
| Shefford | Campton and Chicksands parish; Meppershall parish; Shefford parish | 1 |
| Silsoe and Shillington | Shillington, Stondon and Henlow Camp ward; Silsoe ward; Gravenhurst parish | 1 |
| Stotfold and Arlesey | Arlesey ward; Stotfold ward | 2 |
| Woburn and Harlington | Aspley Guise ward; Harlington ward; Westoning and Tingrith ward; Woburn ward | 1 |
| In the district of South Bedfordshire | ||
| Barton | Barton-le-Clay ward; Streatley ward | 1 |
| Dunstable Downs | Chiltern ward; Dunstable Central ward; Manshead ward | 2 |
| Grovebury | Grovebury ward | 1 |
| Houghton Regis | Houghton Hall ward; Parkside ward; Tithe Farm ward | 2 |
| Icknield | Icknield ward | 1 |
| Leighton Linslade Central | All Saints ward; Linslade ward; Planets ward | 2 |
| Northfields | Northfields ward | 1 |
| Plantation | Plantation ward; Heath and Reach parish | 1 |
| Southcott | Southcott ward | 1 |
| South East Bedfordshire | Caddington, Hyde and Slip End ward; Kensworth parish | 1 |
| South West Bedfordshire | Eaton Bray ward; Great Billington parish(10); Stanbridge parish; Studham parish; Tilsworth parish; Totternhoe parish; Whipsnade parish | 1 |
| Toddington | Toddington ward; Chalgrave parish; Eggington parish; Hockliffe parish | 1 |
| Watling | Watling ward | 1 |
Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order gives effect, with modifications, to recommendations by the Boundary Committee for England, a committee of the Electoral Commission, for electoral changes in the county of Bedfordshire.
The modifications concern the names of the four parish wards of the parish of Sandy.
The changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2005.
Article 3 abolishes the existing electoral divisions of the county and provides for the creation of 46 new electoral divisions. That article and the Schedule also make provision for the names and areas of, and numbers of councillors for, the new electoral divisions.
Articles 4 to 6 make electoral changes in the parishes of Biddenham, Kempston and Sandy.
Article 8 obliges the Electoral Registration Officer in each district or borough in the county of Bedfordshire to make any necessary amendments to the electoral register to reflect the new electoral arrangements.
Article 9 revokes the County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1985, with the exception of article 5.
The areas of the new electoral divisions and of the new parish wards of the parishes of Biddenham, Kempston and Sandy are demarcated on the map described in article 2. Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of Bedfordshire County Council and at the principal office of the Electoral Commission at Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2HW.
The Boundary Committee for England is a committee of the Electoral Commission, established by the Electoral Commission in accordance with section 14 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41). The Local Government Commission for England (Transfer of Functions) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3962) transferred to the Electoral Commission the functions of the Local Government Commission for England.
1992 c. 19. This section has been amended by S.I. 2001/3962.
The Electoral Commission was established by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41). The functions of the Secretary of State, under sections 13 to 15 and 17 of the Local Government Act 1992 (c. 19), to the extent that they relate to electoral changes within the meaning of that Act, were transferred with modifications to the Electoral Commission on 1st April 2002 (S.I. 2001/3962).
This section has been amended by section 89(3) of the Local Government Act 2000 (c. 22), S.I. 2001/3962 and also otherwise in ways not relevant to this Order.
This section has been amended by S.I. 2001/3962.
See the Borough of Bedford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/4066), the District of Mid Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/4067) and the District of South Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/4068).
See the County of Bedfordshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1985 (S.I. 1985/140). The area of the county of Bedfordshire was altered by the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire (County Boundaries) Order 1991 (S.I. 1991/282) and the Bedfordshire (Borough of Luton) (Structural Change) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/1776).
As to electoral registration officers and the register of local government electors, see sections 8 to 13 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2).
S.I. 1985/140.
The area of the parish of Great Billington was altered by the South Bedfordshire (Parishes) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/819).