Statutory Instruments
1999 No. 2927
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND
The Borough of Swindon (Electoral Changes) Order 1999
Made
22nd October 1999
Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)
Whereas the Local Government Commission for England, acting pursuant to section 15(4) of the Local Government Act 1992(1) has submitted to the Secretary of State a report dated March 1999 on its review of the borough(2) of Swindon together with its recommendations:
And whereas the Secretary of State has decided to give effect to those recommendations:
Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 17(3) and 26 of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:
Citation, commencement and interpretation
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Borough of Swindon (Electoral Changes) Order 1999.
(2) This Order shall come into force—
(a)for the purpose of all proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 4th May 2000, on 22nd October 1999;
(b)for all other purposes, on 4th May 2000.
(3) In this Order—
“the borough” means the borough of Swindon;
“existing”, in relation to a ward, means the ward as it exists on the date this Order is made;
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 Swindon (Electoral Changes) Order 1999”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994(4); and
any reference to a numbered sheet is a reference to the sheet of the map which bears that number.
Wards of Swindon
2.—(1) The existing wards of the borough(5) shall be abolished.
(2) The borough shall be divided into 22 wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 1.
(3) The wards shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of that Schedule by reference to parishes 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 the number specified in respect of the ward in column (3) of that Schedule.
(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 Swindon
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 election of councillors in 2000(6).
(3) The councillors holding office for any ward in 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) The order of retirement of councillors shall be as set out in Schedule 2.
(5) Where the number of councillors elected in 2000 for any ward of the borough is two or more—
(a)the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (6) and (7), 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.
Wards of the parish of Blunsdon St Andrew
4. The parish of Blunsdon St Andrew shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 3; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule, and the number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be the number specified in respect of the parish ward in column (3) of that Schedule.
Wards of the parish of Chiseldon
5. The parish of Chiseldon shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 4; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule, and the number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be the number specified in respect of the parish ward in column (3) of that Schedule.
Wards of the parish of Haydon Wick
6. The parish of Haydon Wick shall be divided into three parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 5; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule, and the number of councillors to be elected for each parish ward shall be the number specified in respect of the parish ward in column (3) of that Schedule.
Wards of the parish of Stratton St Margaret
7.—(1) The existing wards of the parish of Stratton St Margaret shall be abolished.
(2) The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Coleview, Lower Coleview and Nythe, St Margaret and St Philip; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 4 by reference to the names of the wards and demarcated by orange lines.
(3) The number of councillors to be elected for the St Philip parish ward shall be eight, for the St Margaret parish ward shall be seven and for each of the Coleview and Lower Coleview and Nythe parish wards shall be four.
Parish Elections
8.—(1) Elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Bishopstone, Covingham, Liddington and Wanborough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2000 and every fourth year after 2000.
(2) Elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Blunsdon St. Andrew, Castle Eaton, Hannington and Stanton Fitzwarren shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002 and every fourth year after 2002.
(3) Elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Chiseldon, Haydon Wick, Highworth, Stratton St Margaret and Wroughton shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003 and every fourth year after 2003.
(4) An election of parish councillors for the parish of South Marston shall be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2000; the term of office of the councillors elected on that day shall be two years; and elections of parish councillors for that parish shall be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002 and every fourth year after 2002.
(5) Except as otherwise provided in the foregoing paragraphs of this article, the term of office of parish councillors shall be four years and all parish councillors shall retire on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in the year of retirement and the newly elected parish councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.
Revocation
9. The Borough of Thamesdown (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975(7), the Borough of Thamesdown (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1986 and Part III of the Wiltshire (Borough of Thamesdown) (Structural Change) Order 1995(8) are hereby revoked.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
Beverley Hughes
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
22nd October 1999
Article 2
SCHEDULE 1NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS
(1)
(2)
(3)
Name of ward
Area of ward
Number of Counciliors
Abbey Meads
3
Blunsdon
1
Central
3
Covingham and Nythe
3
Dorcan
3
Eastcott
3
Freshbrook and Grange Park
3
Gorse Hill and Pinehurst
3
Haydon Wick
3
Highworth
The parishes of Highworth and Inglesham
3
Moredon
3
Old Town and Lawn
3
Parks
3
Penhill
2
Ridgeway
1
St Philip
3
St Margaret
3
Shaw and Nine Elms
3
Toothill and Westlea
2
Walcot
2
Western
3
Wroughton and Chiseldon
3
Aricle 3(4)
SCHEDULE 2ORDER OF RETIREMENT OF COUNCILLORS
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Name of ward
Number of Councillors to retire in 2002
Number of Councillors to retire in 2003
Number of Councillors to retire in 2004
Abbey Meads
1
1
1
Blunsdon
1
Central
1
1
1
Covingham and Nythe
1
1
1
Dorcan
1
1
1
Eastcott
1
1
1
Freshbrook and Grange Park
1
1
1
Gorse Hill and Pinehurst
1
1
1
Haydon Wick
1
1
1
Highworth
1
1
1
Moredon
1
1
1
Old Town and Lawn
1
1
1
Parks
1
1
1
Penhill
1
1
Ridgeway
1
St Philip
1
1
1
St Margaret
1
1
1
Shaw and Nine Elms
1
1
1
Toothill and Westlea
1
1
Walcot
1
1
Western
1
1
1
Wroughton and Chiseldon
1
1
1
Article 4
SCHEDULE 3WARDS OF THE PARISH OF BLUNSDON ST ANDREW: NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS
(1)
(2)
(3)
Name of ward
Area of ward
Number of Councillors
Abbey Meads
So much of the borough ward of Abbey Meads as comprises part of the parish of Blunsdon St Andrew
9
Baxter
So much of the borough ward of Haydon Wick as comprises part of the parish of Blunsdon St Andrew
1
Blunsdon
So much of the borough ward of Blunsdon as comprises part of the parish of Blunsdon St Andrew
6
Kingsdown
So much of the borough ward of St Philip as comprises part of the parish of Blunsdon St Andrew
1
Article 5
SCHEDULE 4WARDS OF THE PARISH OF CHISELDON: NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS
(1)
(2)
(3)
Name of ward
Area of ward
Number of Councillors
Badbury
So much of the borough ward of Ridgeway as comprises part of the parish of Chiseldon
1
Chiseldon
So much of the borough ward of Wroughton and Chiseldon as comprises part of the parish of Chiseldon
14
Article 6
SCHEDULE 5WARDS OF THE PARISH OF HAYDON WICK: NAMES AND AREAS OF WARDS AND NUMBERS OF COUNCILLORS
(1)
(2)
(3)
Name of ward
Area of ward
Number of Councillors
Haydon End
So much of the borough ward of Abbey Meads as comprises part of the parish of Haydon Wick
4
Haydon Wick
So much of the borough ward of Haydon Wick as comprises part of the parish of Haydon Wick
13
Ray
So much of the borough ward of Moredon as comprises part of the parish of Haydon Wick
1
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 Swindon.
Article 2 abolishes the existing wards of the borough and provides for the creation of 22 new wards. That article and Schedule 1 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 Swindon in 2000 and reversion to elections by thirds in subsequent years. Schedule 2 regulates the order of retirement of councillors.
Articles 4 to 7 make electoral changes in the parishes of Blunsdon St Andrew, Chiseldon, Haydon Wick and Stratton St Margaret.
Article 8 makes provision for parish elections.
Article 9 revokes the Borough of Thamesdown (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975 and the Borough of Thamesdown (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1986 and Part III of the Wiltshire (Borough of Thamesdown) (Structural Change) Order 1995.
The areas of the new borough and parish 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 Swindon 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.
(1)
1992 c. 19.
(2)
The non-metropolitan district of Swindon has the status of a borough.
(3)
Section 17 is amended by section 39(4) and (5) of the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994 (c. 29).
(4)
S.I. 1994/867, to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.
(5)
See the Borough of Thamesdown (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1986 (S.I. 1986/237).
(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).
(7)
S.I. 1975/1921.
(8)
S.I. 1995/1995.
