The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2006

Statutory Instruments

2006 No. 3112

local government, england

The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2006

Made

23rd November 2006

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2), 1(3) and 1(4)

The Boundary Committee for England(1), under section 15(4) of the Local Government Act 1992(2) (“the 1992 Act”), have conducted a review of the district of North Hertfordshire and have submitted to the Electoral Commission(3) recommendations dated May 2006.

A period of not less than six weeks has expired since the receipt of those recommendations.

The Electoral Commission have decided to give effect, without modification, to those recommendations.

Accordingly, the Electoral Commission, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 17(4) and 26(5) of the 1992 Act, make the following Order:

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2006.

(2) This Order, with the exception of articles 5 and 6, comes 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(6) in 2007, on the day after that on which it is made;

(b) for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2007.

(3) Article 5 comes into force—

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of parish councillors for the parish of Letchworth Garden City to be held on the ordinary day of elections in 2009, on 15th October 2008;

(b) for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of elections in 2009.

(4) Article 6 comes into force—

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of parish councillors for the parish of Royston to be held on the ordinary day of elections in 2010, on 15th October 2009;

(b) for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of elections in 2010.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order—

“district” means the district of North Hertfordshire;

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

“map” means the map marked “Map referred to in the District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2006”, of which prints are available for inspection at the principal office of the Electoral Commission; 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 North Hertfordshire

3.—(1) The existing wards of the district(7) shall be abolished.

(2) The district shall be divided into twenty-four wards which shall be named as set out in column (1) of Schedule 1.

(3) Each ward shall comprise the area described in column (2) of that Schedule by reference to parishes and parish wards 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.

(4) 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.

(5) 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 North Hertfordshire

4.—(1) Elections of all councillors for all wards of the district shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2007(8).

(2) The councillors holding office for any ward of the district immediately before the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2007 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors shall come into office on that date.

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

(4) Where the number of councillors elected in 2007 for any ward of the district is two or more—

(a) the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), 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 Letchworth Garden City

5.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Letchworth Garden City shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into five wards which shall be named Letchworth East, Letchworth Grange, Letchworth South East, Letchworth South West and Letchworth Wilbury.

(3) Each ward shall comprise the area designated on sheet 2 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(4) The number of councillors to be elected for Letchworth South West ward shall be six, for each of Letchworth Grange and Letchworth South East wards shall be five, and for each of Letchworth East and Letchworth Wilbury wards shall be four.

Wards of the parish of Royston

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

(2) The parish shall be divided into three wards which shall be named Royston Heath, Royston Meridian and Royston Palace.

(3) Each ward shall comprise the area designated on sheet 3 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(4) The number of councillors to be elected for each ward shall be five.

Map

7.  North Hertfordshire District Council shall make a print of the map available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.

Electoral register

8.  The registration officer(9) for the district 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 District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 1998(10) is revoked, save for articles 3(1), 3(10), 4, 5, 7, 8, 9(2), 9(3), 9(4), 9(5), and 9(6).

Sealed with the seal of the Electoral Commission on the 23rd day of November 2006

Sam Younger

Chairman of the Commission

23rd November 2006

Jacqui Dixon

Secretary to the Commission

23rd November 2006

article 3

SCHEDULE 1 NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS

Column (1)	Column (2)	Column (3)
Name of Ward	Area of Ward	Number of Councillors
Arbury	Ashwell parish; Bygrave parish; Caldecote parish; Hinxworth parish; Newnham parish; Radwell parish	1
Baldock East		1
Baldock Town		3
Cadwell	Holwell parish; Ickleford parish	1
Chesfield	Graveley parish; Wymondley parish	2
Codicote	Village parish ward of Codicote parish	1
Ermine	Barkway parish; Barley parish; Kelshall parish; Nuthampstead parish; Reed parish; Therfield parish	1
Hitchin Bearton		3
Hitchin Highbury		3
Hitchin Oughton		2
Hitchin Priory		2
Hitchin Walsworth		3
Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo	Hexton parish; King’s Walden parish; Langley parish; Lilley parish; Offley parish; Pirton parish; Preston parish; St Paul’s Walden parish; South parish ward of St Ippolyts parish	3
Kimpton	Kimpton parish	1
Knebworth	Knebworth parish; East parish ward of Codicote parish	2
Letchworth East	Letchworth East parish ward of Letchworth Garden City parish	2
Letchworth Grange	Letchworth Grange parish ward of Letchworth Garden City parish	3
Letchworth South East	Letchworth South East parish ward of Letchworth Garden City parish	3
Letchworth South West	Letchworth South West parish ward of Letchworth Garden City parish	3
Letchworth Wilbury	Letchworth Wilbury parish ward of Letchworth Garden City parish	2
Royston Heath	Royston Heath parish ward of Royston parish	2
Royston Meridian	Royston Meridian parish ward of Royston parish	2
Royston Palace	Royston Palace ward of Royston parish	2
Weston and Sandon	Clothall parish; Rushden parish; Sandon parish; Wallington parish; Weston parish	1

article 4

SCHEDULE 2 ORDER OF RETIREMENT OF COUNCILLORS

Column (1)	Column (2)	Column (3)	Column (4)
Name of Ward	Number of councillors to retire in 2008	Number of councillors to retire in 2010	Number of councillors to retire in 2011
Arbury			1
Baldock East	1
Baldock Town	1	1	1
Cadwell			1
Chesfield	1		1
Codicote		1
Ermine			1
Hitchin Bearton	1	1	1
Hitchin Highbury	1	1	1
Hitchin Oughton	1	1
Hitchin Priory	1	1
Hitchin Walsworth	1	1	1
Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo	1	1	1
Kimpton		1
Knebworth	1	1
Letchworth East	1	1
Letchworth Grange	1	1	1
Letchworth South East	1	1	1
Letchworth South West	1	1	1
Letchworth Wilbury	1	1
Royston Heath		1	1
Royston Meridian		1	1
Royston Palace		1	1
Weston and Sandon			1

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order makes changes to the electoral arrangements for the district of North Hertfordshire following recommendations made by the Boundary Committee for England to the Electoral Commission.

The Electoral Commission accepted the Boundary Committee’s recommendations without modification.

The electoral changes apply in respect of local government elections to be held on and after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2007.

Article 3 abolishes the existing wards of the district and replaces them with 24 new ones. That article, Schedule 1 and the map also establish the names and areas of the new district wards and the numbers of district councillors for each ward.

Article 4 makes provision for a whole council election in 2007 and for reversion to the established system of election by thirds in subsequent years.

Schedule 2 provides for the order of retirement of councillors.

Article 5 abolishes the existing parish wards of the parish of Letchworth Garden City and replaces them with 5 new ones. That article and the map also establish the names and areas of the new parish wards and the numbers of parish councillors for each ward.

Article 6 abolishes the existing parish wards of the parish of Royston and replaces them with 3 new ones. That article and the map also establish the names and areas of the new parish wards and the numbers of parish councillors for each ward.

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 District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 1998, save for articles 3(1), 3(10), 4, 5, 7, 8, 9(2), 9(3), 9(4), 9(5) and 9(6).

The map defined in article 2 shows the new district and parish wards. It is available at www.boundarycommittee.org.uk/your-area/northherts.cfm and, at all reasonable times, at the offices of North Hertfordshire District 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 (“the 2000 Act”) (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 2000 Act (c.41). The functions of the Secretary of State, under sections 13 to 15 and 17 of the 1992 Act (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 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)

For the ordinary day of election of councillors of local government areas, see section 37 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c.2), amended by section 18(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (c.50) and section 17 of, and paragraphs 1 and 5 of Schedule 3 to, the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (c.29).

(7)

See the District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 1998 (S.I. 1998/2555).

(8)

Article 4 provides for a single election of all the councillors and for reversion to the system of election by thirds, as established by articles 3(1) and 3(10) of S.I. 1998/2555.

(9)

As to registration officers, and their duties in respect of the register of local government electors, see sections 8 to 13 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c.2).

(10)

S.I. 1998/2555.