The Northumberland (Electoral Changes) Order 2024

Statutory Instruments

2024 No. 124

Local Government, England

The Northumberland (Electoral Changes) Order 2024

Made

5th February 2024

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

Under section 58(4) of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009(1) (“the Act”) the Local Government Boundary Commission for England(2) (“the Commission”) published a report dated October 2023(3) stating its recommendations for changes to the electoral arrangements for Northumberland. The Commission has decided to give effect to the recommendations.

A draft of the instrument has been laid before Parliament and a period of forty days has expired since the day on which it was laid and neither House has resolved that the instrument be not made.

The Commission makes the following Order in exercise of the power conferred by section 59(1) of the Act.

Citation, commencement, extent and application

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Northumberland (Electoral Changes) Order 2024.

(2) This article and article 2 come into force on 15th October 2024.

(3) Articles 3 and 4 come into force—

(a) for the purposes of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of councillors, on 15th October 2024;

(b) for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of election of councillors in England(4) in 2025.

(4) This Order extends to England and Wales but applies in relation to England only.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In this Order, “ the map” means the map marked “Map referred to in the Northumberland (Electoral Changes) Order 2024”, held by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England(5).

(2) Where a boundary is shown on the map as running along a road, railway line, footway, watercourse or similar geographical feature, it is to be treated as running along the centre line of the feature.

Electoral divisions of Northumberland and number of councillors

3.—(1) The existing electoral divisions of Northumberland are abolished.

(2) Northumberland is divided into the 69 electoral divisions listed in Schedule 1.

(3) Each electoral division comprises the area identified on the map by reference to the name of the electoral division.

(4) The number of councillors to be elected for each electoral division is one.

Certain parishes in Northumberland

4.—(1) The existing parish wards of the parishes listed in paragraph (2) are abolished.

(2) The parishes referred to in paragraph (1) are—

(a) Alnwick;

(b) Amble;

(c) Ashington;

(d) Blyth;

(e) Choppington;

(f) Cramlington;

(g) East Bedlington;

(h) Hexham;

(i) Morpeth;

(j) Newbiggin-by-the-Sea;

(k) Ponteland;

(l) Prudhoe;

(m) Seaton Valley;

(n) West Bedlington;

(o) Widdrington Station & Stobswood.

(3) The parish of Alnwick is divided into the two parish wards listed in the first column of Table 1 in Schedule 2.

(4) The parish of Amble is divided into the three parish wards listed in the first column of Table 2 in Schedule 2.

(5) The parish of Ashington is divided into the six parish wards listed in the first column of Table 3 in Schedule 2.

(6) The parish of Blyth is divided into the eight parish wards listed in the first column of Table 4 in Schedule 2.

(7) The parish of Choppington is divided into the three parish wards listed in the first column of Table 5 in Schedule 2.

(8) The parish of Cramlington is divided into the seven parish wards listed in the first column of Table 6 in Schedule 2.

(9) The parish of East Bedlington is divided into the two parish wards listed in the first column of Table 7 in Schedule 2.

(10) The parish of Hexham is divided into the three parish wards listed in the first column of Table 8 in Schedule 2.

(11) The parish of Morpeth is divided into the five parish wards listed in the first column of Table 9 in Schedule 2.

(12) The parish of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is divided into the four parish wards listed in the first column of Table 10 in Schedule 2.

(13) The parish of Ponteland is divided into the four parish wards listed in the first column of Table 11 in Schedule 2.

(14) The parish of Prudhoe is divided into the six parish wards listed in the first column of Table 12 in Schedule 2.

(15) The parish of Seaton Valley is divided into the four parish wards listed in the first column of Table 13 in Schedule 2.

(16) The parish of West Bedlington is divided into the two parish wards listed in the first column of Table 14 in Schedule 2.

(17) The parish of Widdrington Station & Stobswood is divided into the three parish wards listed in the first column of Table 15 in Schedule 2.

(18) Each parish ward comprises the area identified on the map by reference to the name of the parish ward.

(19) The number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward is the number specified in relation to that parish ward in the second column of the relevant table in Schedule 2.

Sealed with the seal of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England

Ailsa Irvine

Chief Executive

Local Government Boundary Commission for England

5th February 2024

Article 3

SCHEDULE 1 Electoral Divisions of Northumberland

1.  Alnwick Castle

2.  Alnwick Hotspur

3.  Amble

4.  Amble West with Warkworth

5.  Ashington Central

6.  Bamburgh

7.  Bebside & Kitty Brewster

8.  Bedlington Central

9.  Bedlington East

10.  Bedlington West

11.  Bellingham

12.  Berwick East

13.  Berwick North

14.  Berwick West with Ord

15.  Bothal

16.  Choppington & Hepscott

17.  College with North Seaton

18.  Corbridge

19.  Cowpen

20.  Cramlington East & Double Row

21.  Cramlington Eastfield

22.  Cramlington North

23.  Cramlington North West

24.  Cramlington South East

25.  Cramlington South West

26.  Cramlington Village

27.  Croft

28.  Druridge Bay

29.  Haltwhistle

30.  Hartley

31.  Haydon

32.  Haydon & Hadrian

33.  Hexham East

34.  Hexham North

35.  Hexham West

36.  Hirst

37.  Holywell

38.  Humshaugh

39.  Isabella

40.  Longhirst

41.  Longhorsley

42.  Longhoughton

43.  Lynemouth

44.  Morpeth Kirkhill

45.  Morpeth North

46.  Morpeth Stobhill

47.  Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

48.  Newsham

49.  Norham & Islandshires

50.  Pegswood

51.  Plessey

52.  Ponteland East & Stannington

53.  Ponteland North

54.  Ponteland South with Heddon

55.  Ponteland West

56.  Prudhoe North & Wylam

57.  Prudhoe South

58.  Prudhoe West & Mickley

59.  Rothbury

60.  Seaton with Spital

61.  Seghill with Seaton Delaval

62.  Shilbottle

63.  Sleekburn

64.  South Blyth

65.  South Tynedale

66.  Stakeford

67.  Stocksfield & Bywell

68.  Wensleydale

69.  Wooler

Article 4

SCHEDULE 2 Names of parish wards and number of councillors

Table 1

Parish wards of the parish of Alnwick and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Castle	9
Hotspur	9

Table 2

Parish wards of the parish of Amble and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Amble Central	2
Amble East	4
Amble West	3

Table 3

Parish wards of the parish of Ashington and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Ashington Central	3
Bothal	3
College	3
Haydon	3
Hirst	3
Seaton	3

Table 4

Parish wards of the parish of Blyth and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Bebside & Kitty Brewster	2
Cowpen	2
Croft	2
Isabella	2
Newsham	2
Plessey	2
South Blyth	2
Wensleydale	2

Table 5

Parish wards of the parish of Choppington and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Choppington	3
Stakeford	4
West Sleekburn	2

Table 6

Parish wards of the parish of Cramlington and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Cramlington East	1
Cramlington Eastfield	2
Cramlington North	2
Cramlington North West	1
Cramlington South East	2
Cramlington South West	2
Cramlington Village	2

Table 7

Parish wards of the parish of East Bedlington and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
East Bedlington	7
Sleekburn	4

Table 8

Parish wards of the parish of Hexham and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Gilesgate	3
Leazes	5
Priestpopple	6

Table 9

Parish wards of the parish of Morpeth and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Kirkhill	4
North	5
Northgate	1
St George’s Park	1
Stobhill	4

Table 10

Parish wards of the parish of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Newbiggin East	2
Newbiggin North	2
Newbiggin South	3
Newbiggin West	1

Table 11

Parish wards of the parish of Ponteland and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Ponteland East	2
Ponteland North	4
Ponteland South	3
Ponteland West	3

Table 12

Parish wards of the parish of Prudhoe and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Castle and Eltringham	3
Castlefields & Low Prudhoe	2
Mickley	1
Prudhoe Hall	4
Prudhoe West & Halfway	3
West Wylam	2

Table 13

Parish wards of the parish of Seaton Valley and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Double Row	1
Holywell	2
Seaton Sluice & New Hartley	3
Seghill with Seaton Delaval	3

Table 14

Parish wards of the parish of West Bedlington and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Bedlington Central	4
Bedlington West	5

Table 15

Parish wards of the parish of Widdrington Station & Stobswood and number of councillors

(1) Name of parish ward	(2) Number of councillors
Stobswood	1
Widdrington Station East	3
Widdrington Station West	3

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order makes changes to electoral arrangements for Northumberland following recommendations made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. This Order does not change the boundary of the local authority itself.

Article 3 abolishes the existing electoral divisions of Northumberland and replaces them with the 69 new ones listed in Schedule 1 for the purpose of elections to be held on or after the ordinary day of election of councillors in England in 2025. It also establishes the names and areas of the new electoral divisions and the number of councillors for each.

Article 4 makes changes to parish wards which are consequential on the changes made by article 3. The changes to parish wards introduced by article 4 come into force for the purpose of parish elections in 2025 and in respect of subsequent parish elections.

The area covered by each division created by this Order is identified on a map which is available for inspection at reasonable times at the offices of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, 1st Floor, Windsor House, 50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL.

The map may also be accessed at: https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/northumberland.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.

(1)

2009 c. 20.

(2)

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England was established on 1st April 2010 by section 55(1) of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

(3)

The report is available for inspection at reasonable times at the principal office of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, 1st Floor, Windsor House, 50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL. It is also accessible online at https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/northumberland.

(4)

The ordinary day of election of councillors in England is prescribed by section 37(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2), as amended by section 18(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50), renumbered by paragraph 5 of Schedule 3 to the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (c. 29), and further amended by section 6(16) of the Wales Act 2017 (c. 4).

(5)

Prints of the map are available for inspection at reasonable times at the principal office of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, 1st Floor, Windsor House, 50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL. It is also accessible online at https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/northumberland.