The Somerset (Structural Changes) Order 2022

The Somerset Council election in 2022 and subsequent years

13.—(1) A whole council election of councillors of the Somerset Council is to be held—

(a) on the 2022 election day(1);

(b) on the ordinary day of election of councillors(2) in 2027;

(c) every fourth year thereafter.

(2) For the purposes of the elections of councillors of the Somerset Council—

(a) Somerset is to be divided into electoral divisions;

(b) the names of the electoral divisions are those indicated in column 1 of the Table set out in the Schedule to this Order;

(c) the area of each new electoral division is to be the same as that of the county council electoral division or district council wards, as that electoral division or wards existed on 31st March 2022, and as indicated in column 2 of that Table;

(d) each new electoral division is to return the number of councillors indicated in column 3 of that Table.

(3) The person who is for the time being the returning officer for Somerset(3) must take such steps as are necessary or appropriate to prepare for the 2022 election, including the making of all necessary alterations to the electoral register.

(4) All councillors elected in 2022 or any later year are to retire on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in the year of retirement and the newly-elected councillors are to come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

(5) In this article “the year of retirement” —

(a) in relation to councillors elected in 2022 means 2027;

(b) in relation to councillors elected in 2027 or in any later year means the fourth year after the year of election of those councillors.

(1)

The Somerset (Change to Year of Elections) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/176) changed the year of election of Somerset County Council from 2021 to 2022.

(2)

See section 37 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2).

(3)

See section 35 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2).