The District of Wokingham (Electoral Changes) Order 2002

• Citation: S.I. 2002/2989
• Sections: 15

Section 1 Citation and commencement

(1) This Order may be cited as the District of Wokingham (Electoral Changes) Order 2002.

(2) This Order, with the exception of articles 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 shall come into force—

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 6th May 2004, on 15th October 2003;

(b) for all other purposes, on 6th May 2004.

(3) Article 5 shall come into force—

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of a parish councillor for the parish of Arborfield and Newland to be held on 4th May 2006, on 15th October 2005;

(b) for all other purposes, on 4th May 2006.

(4) Articles 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 shall come into force—

(a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of a parish councillor for the parishes of Earley, Shinfield, Twyford, Wokingham and Woodley to be held on 3rd May 2007, on 15th October 2006;

(b) for all other purposes, on 3rd May 2007.

Section 2 Interpretation

In this Order—

“district” means the district of Wokingham;

“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 marked “Map referred to in the District of Wokingham (Electoral Changes) Order 2002”, of which prints are available for inspection at—

(a) the principal office of the Electoral Commission; and

(b) the offices of Wokingham District Council; and

any reference to a sheet of the map is a reference to the sheet of the map which bears that number.

Section 3 Wards of the district of Wokingham

(1) The existing wards of the district shall be abolished.

(2) The district shall be divided into twenty-five 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 an area is not 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, watercourse or similar geographical feature, it shall be treated as running along the centre line of the feature.

Section 4 Elections of the council of Wokingham

(1) Elections of all councillors for all wards of the district shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 .

(2) The councillors holding office for any ward of the district immediately before 10th May 2004 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that date.

(3) The order of retirement of councillors shall be as set out in Schedule 2.

(4) Where the number of councillors elected in 2004 for any ward of the district 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.

(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 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 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.

Section 5 Wards of the parish of Arborfield and Newland

The parish shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 3; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule; and the number of parish 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.

Section 6 Wards of the parish of Earley

(1) The existing wards of the parish of Earley shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into eight parish wards which shall bear the names Cutbush, Hawkedon, Hillside, Maiden Erlegh, Radstock, Redhatch, St Nicholas and Whitegates; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet (4) be reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of parish councillors to be elected for each of the parish wards of Cutbush, Hawkedon, Hillside, Maiden Erlegh, St Nicholas, Radstock and Whitegates shall be three, and for the parish ward of Redhatch shall be four.

Section 7 Wards of the parish of Finchampstead

(1) The existing wards of the parish of Finchampstead shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into three parish wards which shall bear the names Finchampstead North, Finchampstead South and Lower Wokingham; and each of the parish wards of Finchampstead North and Finchampstead South shall comprise the area of the district ward bearing the same name, and the Lower Wokingham parish ward shall consist of the rest of the parish.

(3) The number of parish councillors to be elected for the parish ward of Lower Wokingham shall be two, for the parish ward of Finchampstead North shall be seven, and for the parish ward of Finchampstead South shall be eight.

Section 8 Wards of the parish of Shinfield

(1) The existing wards of the parish of Shinfield shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into five parish wards which shall bear the names Grazeley, Shinfield North, Shinfield Village, Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross, and Spencers Wood South; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet 5 by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each of the parish wards of Grazeley and Spencers Wood South shall be two, for each of the parish wards of Shinfield North and Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross shall be three, and for the parish ward of Shinfield Village shall be five.

Section 9 Wards of the parish of Twyford

The parish of Twyford 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 district ward specified in respect of the parish ward in column (2) of that Schedule; and the number of parish 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.

Section 10 Wards of the parish of Wokingham

(1) The existing wards of the parish of Wokingham shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into nine parish wards which shall bear the names Emmbrook North, Emmbrook South, Evendons East, Evendons West, Norreys East, Norreys West, Sandy Bottom, Wescott East and Wescott West; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet (6) by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of parish councillors to be elected for the parish ward of Sandy Bottom shall be one, for each of the parish wards of Wescott East and Wescott West shall be two, for each of the parish wards of Emmbrook North, Emmbrook South, Evendons East, Norreys East and Norreys West shall be three, and for the parish ward of Evendons West shall be five.

Section 11 Wards of the parish of Woodley

(1) The existing wards of the parish of Woodley shall be abolished.

(2) The parish shall be divided into nine parish wards which shall bear the names Bulmershe, Coronation Central, Coronation East, Loddon Airfield, Loddon South, Loddon West, South Lake North, South Lake South and Warren; and the wards shall comprise the areas designated on sheet (4) by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by orange lines.

(3) The number of parish councillors to be elected for the parish wards of Coronation Central, Loddon West and Warren shall be two, for each of the parish wards of Coronation East, Loddon Airfield, Loddon South, South Lake North and South Lake South shall be three, and for the parish ward of Bulmershe shall be four.

Section 12 Parish Elections

(1) Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Remenham and Wargrave shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2006 and every fourth year after 2006.

(2) The ordinary elections of parish councillors for the parish of Ruscombe in 2003 shall not take place; and any such parish councillor holding office immediately before 5th May 2003 shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004.

(3) Elections of all parish councillors for the parish of Ruscombe shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 and every fourth year after 2004.

(4) The term of office of parish councillors elected in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (3) above shall be four years; and they 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.

(5) Rule 8 of the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 1986 (filling of casual vacancies) shall have effect, in the case of a casual vacancy occurring before 8th May 2004 in the office of a parish councillor for the parish of Ruscombe as if the references in paragraphs (1) and (4) of that rule to the day on which that councillor would regularly have retired were a reference to 8th May 2004.

Section 13 Maps

Wokingham District Council shall make a print of the map marked “Map referred to in the District of Wokingham (Electoral Changes) Order 2002” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time.

Section 14 Electoral Registers

The Electoral Registration Officer for the district shall make such rearrangement of, or adaptation of, the register of local government electors as may be necessary for the purposes of, and in consequence of, this Order.

Section 15 Revocation

The District of Wokingham (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978 is revoked, with the exception of articles 5 and 6.