Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.-(1) This Order may be cited as the Borough of Watford (Electoral Changes) Order 1998.

(2) This Order shall come into force on 6th May 1999, except that for the purpose of all proceedings preliminary or relating to an election to be held on or after that date this Order shall come into force on the day after that on which it is made.

(3) In this Order-�

"the borough" means the borough of Watford;

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

any reference to "the map" is a reference to the map prepared by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions marked "Map of the Borough of Watford (Electoral Changes) Order 1998", and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994(4).

Wards of Watford

2.-(1) The existing wards of the borough(5) shall be abolished.

(2) The borough shall be divided into twelve wards which shall bear the names set out in the Schedule.

(3) The wards shall comprise the areas 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 three.

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

Elections of the council of Watford

3.-(1) Subject to the following provisions of this article, the election of councillors for wards of the borough shall be by thirds.

(2) Elections of all councillors for wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 1999(6).

(3) The councillors holding office for any ward in the borough immediately before 10th May 1999 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors for any such ward shall come into office on that date.

(4) Of the councillors elected in 1999 in any ward of the borough-

(a)one-third shall retire in 2000 being, subject to paragraphs (4) and (5) below, the councillor elected in each ward by the smallest number of votes;

(b)one-third shall retire in 2002 being, subject as aforesaid, the councillor elected in each ward by the next smallest number of votes; and

(c)the remaining councillor in each ward shall retire in 2003.

(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 such 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 such 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.

(8) Except as otherwise provided in the foregoing paragraphs of this article, the term of office of councillors shall be four years and all councillors shall retire on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in the year of retirement and the newly elected councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

Revocation

4. The Borough of Watford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975 is hereby revoked.

Article 2

SCHEDULENAMES OF WARDS

Callowland

Central

Holywell

Leggatts

Meriden

Nascot

Oxhey

Park

Stanborough

Tudor

Vicarage

Woodside

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England for electoral changes in the borough of Watford.

Article 2 abolishes all of the existing wards of the borough and provides for the creation of 12 new wards. That article and the Schedule also make provision for the names and areas of, and numbers of councillors for, the new wards.

Article 3 makes provision for a whole council election in Watford in 1999 and for reversion to elections by thirds in subsequent years.

The areas of the new borough wards are demarcated on the map described in article 1(3). Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of Watford Borough Council and at the offices of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, which are located at 2nd Floor, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.