The County of Suffolk (Electoral Changes) Order 2004

Statutory Instruments

2004 No. 3252

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND

The County of Suffolk (Electoral Changes) Order 2004

Made

9th December 2004

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)

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 Suffolk:

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:

Now, therefore, the Electoral Commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 17(4) and 26(5) of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Order:

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the County of Suffolk (Electoral Changes) Order 2004.

(2) This Order 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.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order –

“county” means the county of Suffolk;

“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 Suffolk (Electoral Changes) Order 2004”, of which prints are available for inspection at –

(a)

the principal office of the Electoral Commission; and

(b)

the offices of Suffolk 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 Suffolk

3.—(1) The existing electoral divisions of the county(7) shall be abolished.

(2) The county shall be divided into sixty-three 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, 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.

Maps

4.  Suffolk County Council shall make a print of the map marked “Map referred to in the County of Suffolk (Electoral Changes) Order 2004” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.

Electoral registers

5.  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

6.  The County of Suffolk (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1984(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

SCHEDULE NAMES 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 district of Babergh
Belstead Brook	Brook ward; Pinewood ward	1
Cosford	Brett Vale ward; Lavenham ward; North Cosford ward; South Cosford ward	1
Great Cornard	Great Cornard North ward; Great Cornard South ward	1
Hadleigh	Hadleigh North ward; Hadleigh South ward	1
Melford	Chadacre ward; Glemsford and Stanstead ward; Long Melford ward	1
Peninsula	Alton ward; Berners ward; Holbrook ward	1
Samford	Dodnash ward; Lower Brett ward; Mid Samford ward	1
Stour Valley	Boxford ward; Bures St Mary ward; Leavenheath ward; Nayland ward	1
Sudbury	Sudbury North ward; Sudbury South ward	1
Sudbury East and Waldingfield	Sudbury East ward; Waldingfield ward	1
In the district of Forest Heath
Brandon	Brandon East ward; Brandon West ward	1
Exning and Newmarket	All Saints ward; Exning ward; St Mary’s ward	1
Mildenhall	Great Heath ward; Manor ward; Market ward	1
Newmarket and Red Lodge	Red Lodge ward; Severals ward; South ward	1
Row Heath	Eriswell and The Rows ward; Iceni ward; Lakenheath ward	1
In the borough of Ipswich
Bixley	Bixley ward	1
Bridge		1
Chantry	Gipping ward; Sprites ward; Stoke Park ward	2
Gainsborough		1
Priory Heath	Priory Heath ward	1
Rushmere		1
St Helen's		1
St John's		1
St Margaret’s and Westgate		2
Whitehouse and Whitton		2
In the district of Mid Suffolk
Bosmere	Barking and Somersham ward; Needham Market ward; Ringshall ward	1
Gipping Valley	Bramford and Blakenham ward; Claydon and Barham ward	1
Hartismere	Gislingham ward; Palgrave ward; Rickinghall and Walsham ward	1
Hoxne and Eye	Eye ward; Fressingfield ward; Hoxne ward; Stradbroke and Laxfield ward	1
Stowmarket North and Stowupland	Stowmarket North ward; Stowupland ward	1
Stowmarket South	Stowmarket Central ward; Stowmarket South ward	1
Thedwastre North	Badwell Ash ward; Elmswell and Norton ward; Woolpit ward	1
Thedwastre South	Onehouse ward; Rattlesden ward; Thurston and Hessett ward	1
Thredling	Debenham ward; Helmingham and Coddenham ward; The Stonhams ward; Worlingworth ward	1
Upper Gipping	Bacton and Old Newton ward; Haughley and Wetherden ward; Mendlesham ward; Wetheringsett ward	1
In the borough of St Edmundsbury
Blackbourn	Bardwell ward; Barningham ward; Ixworth ward; Stanton ward	1
Clare	Cavendish ward; Clare ward; Hundon ward; Wickhambrook ward; Withersfield ward	1
Eastgate and Moreton Hall	Eastgate ward; Moreton Hall ward	1
Hardwick	Southgate ward; Westgate ward	1
Haverhill Cangle	Haverhill North ward; Haverhill South ward; Haverhill West ward	2
Haverhill East and Kedington	Haverhill East ward; Kedington ward	1
Thingoe North	Fornham ward; Great Barton ward; Pakenham ward; Risby ward	1
Thingoe South	Barrow ward; Chedburgh ward; Horringer and Whelnetham ward; Rougham ward	1
Tower	Abbeygate ward; Minden ward; Northgate ward; Risbygate ward; St Olaves ward	2
In the district of Suffolk Coastal
Aldeburgh and Leiston	Aldeburgh ward; Leiston ward	1
Blything	Saxmundham ward; Walberswick and Wenhaston ward; Yoxford ward	1
Carlford	Earl Soham ward; Grundisburgh ward; Otley ward; Witnesham ward	1
Felixstowe Coastal	Felixstowe East ward; Felixstowe South ward; Felixstowe South East ward; Felixstowe West ward	2
Felixstowe North and Trimley	Felixstowe North ward; Trimley St Martin parish; Trimley St Mary parish	1
Framlingham	Framlingham ward; Hacheston ward; Peasenhall ward	1
Kesgrave and Rushmere St Andrew	Kesgrave East ward; Kesgrave West ward; Rushmere St Andrew ward	2
Martlesham	Martlesham ward; Nacton ward; Falkenham parish; Kirton parish	1
Wickham	Melton and Ufford ward; Rendlesham ward; Wickham Market ward	1
Wilford	Hollesley with Eyke ward; Orford and Tunstall ward; Snape ward; Sutton ward	1
Woodbridge	Farlingaye ward; Kyson ward; Riverside ward; Seckford ward	1
In the district of Waveney
Beccles	Beccles North ward; Beccles South ward; Worlingham ward	2
Bungay	Bungay ward; Wainford ward; All Saints and St Nicholas, South Elmham parish; Flixton parish; Rumburgh parish; St Andrew, Ilketshall parish; St Cross, South Elmham parish; St James, South Elmham parish; St John, Ilketshall parish; St Lawrence, Ilketshall parish; St Margaret, Ilketshall parish; St Margaret, South Elmham parish; St Mary, South Elmham otherwise Homersfield parish; St Michael, South Elmham parish; St Peter, South Elmham parish	1
Gunton	Gunton and Corton ward; Harbour ward; Normanston ward	2
Halesworth	Blything ward; Halesworth ward; Brampton with Stoven parish; Frostenden parish; Uggeshall parish; Wissett parish; Wrentham parish	1
Kessingland and Southwold	Kessingland ward; Southwold and Reydon ward; Benacre parish; Covehithe parish; Henstead with Hulver Street parish; Rushmere parish; South Cove parish	1
Lowestoft South	Carlton ward; Kirkley ward; Whitton ward	2
Oulton	Lothingland ward; Oulton ward; Oulton Broad ward; St Margaret’s ward	2
Pakefield	Carlton Colville ward; Pakefield ward	2

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 Suffolk.

The modifications concern the names of Hoxne and Eye, and Tower electoral divisions.

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 63 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.

Article 5 obliges the Electoral Registration Officer in each district or borough in the county of Suffolk to make any necessary amendments to the electoral register to reflect the new electoral arrangements.

Article 6 revokes the County of Suffolk (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1984, with the exception of article 5.

The areas of the new electoral divisions are demarcated on the map described in article 2. Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of Suffolk County Council and at the principal office of the Electoral Commission at Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2HW.

(1)

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.

(2)

1992 c. 19. This section has been amended by S.I. 2001/3962.

(3)

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).

(4)

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.

(5)

This section has been amended by S.I. 2001/3962.

(6)

See the District of Babergh (Electoral Changes) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3894), as amended by the District of Babergh (Electoral Changes) (Amendment) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/1036), the District of Forest Heath (Electoral Changes) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3893), the Borough of Ipswich (Electoral Changes) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3890), the District of Mid Suffolk (Electoral Changes) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3891), the Borough of St Edmundsbury (Electoral Changes) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3895), the District of Suffolk Coastal (Electoral Changes) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3892), and the District of Waveney (Electoral Changes) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3889), as amended by the District of Waveney (Electoral Changes) (Amendment) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/2983).

(7)

See the County of Suffolk (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1984 (S.I. 1984/538). The area of the county of Suffolk was altered by the Essex and Suffolk (County Boundaries) Order 1989 (S.I. 1989/2352), the Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk (County Boundaries) Order 1990 (S.I. 1990/228), and the Cambridgeshire and Suffolk (County Boundaries) Order 1992 (S.I. 1992/3026).

(8)

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).

(9)

S.I. 1984/538.