Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.-(1) This Order may be cited as the Borough of Sefton (Electoral Changes) Order 1999.

(2) This Order shall come into force-

(a)for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 4th May 2000, on 10th October 1999;

(b)for all other purposes, on 4th May 2000.

(3) In this Order-

"the borough" means the borough of Sefton; and

"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 Sefton (Electoral Changes) Order 1999", and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994(3).

Wards of Sefton

2.-(1) The existing wards of the borough(4) shall be abolished.

(2) The borough shall be divided into twenty-two wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of the Schedule.

(3) The wards shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of the Schedule by reference to parish wards or, where no area is so described, the area designated on the map by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by red lines; and the number of councillors to be elected for each ward shall be three.

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

Elections of the council of Sefton

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 all wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of elections of councillors in 2000(5).

(3) The councillors holding office for any ward of the borough immediately before 8th May 2000 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that date.

(4) Of the councillors elected in 2000, one in each ward shall retire in each of the years 2002, 2003 and 2004.

(5) Of the councillors elected for any ward in 2000-

(a)the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (6) and (7) below, 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.

(6) 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.

(7) If an election of councillors for any ward is not contested, the person to retire in each year shall be determined by lot.

(8) 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.

(9) 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 Sefton (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978 is hereby revoked.

Article 2

SCHEDULENAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect, subject to modifications, to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England for electoral changes in the borough of Sefton. The modifications relate to the names of two borough wards; designated by this Order as "Dukes" and "Netherton and Orrell".

Article 2 abolishes all of the existing wards of the borough and provides for the creation of 22 new wards. That article and the Schedule also make provision for the names and areas of the new wards. Each ward is to be represented by three councillors.

Article 3 makes provision for a whole council election in Sefton in 2000 and reversion to elections by thirds in subsequent years.

Article 4 revokes the Borough of Sefton (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978.

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 Sefton Borough Council and at the offices of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 2nd Floor, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.