Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/639/made/data.htm
Timestamp: 2019-07-21 21:00:17
Document Index: 724104225

Matched Legal Cases: ['ART 2', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'ART 4', 'arts 1', 'ART 5', 'art 4', 'art 5']

The West Suffolk (Local Government Changes) Order 2018The West Suffolk (Local Government Changes) Order 2018
The West Suffolk (Local Government Changes) Order 2018
2018 No. 639
The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007(1) (“the 2007 Act”), makes the following Order.
This Order implements a proposal under section 8(2A)(2) of the 2007 Act that there should be a new non-metropolitan district and council for West Suffolk.
A draft of this Order was laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament in accordance with section 240(6) of the 2007 Act.
1. This Order may be cited as the West Suffolk (Local Government Changes) Order 2018 and comes into force on the day after that on which it is made.
“the 1989 Act” means the Local Government and Housing Act 1989(4);
“the 2000 Act” means the Local Government Act 2000(5);
“2019 election day” means the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2019(6);
“the Relevant Councils” means Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council;
“West Suffolk” means the local government area of West Suffolk constituted by article 3.
PART 2Establishment of single district council in West Suffolk
Establishment of West Suffolk district
3.—(1) On 1st April 2019 there is constituted a new non-metropolitan district in the county of Suffolk, whose area is co-terminous with that of the Relevant Councils.
(2) The name of that new district is West Suffolk.
Establishment of West Suffolk Council
4.—(1) A new non-metropolitan district council, to be known as West Suffolk Council, is constituted as the non-metropolitan district council for West Suffolk.
(a)West Suffolk Council is not a local authority for the purposes of the 1972 Act or for any other enactment relating to local government;
Abolition of Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury districts and their councils
(a)the Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury districts are abolished as local government areas;
(b)the Relevant Councils are wound up and dissolved.
(2) The term of office of persons serving as councillors of the Relevant Councils immediately before 1st April 2019 ends on that date.
(3) Nothing in section 89 of the 1972 Act (filling of casual vacancies in case of councillors) authorises the holding of an election to fill a casual vacancy in the office of councillor of the Relevant Councils where that vacancy arises after 30th September 2018 and before 1st April 2019.
West Suffolk Council as shadow authority
7.—(1) During the shadow period, West Suffolk Council is a shadow authority for the purposes of the following provisions of this Part.
(2) Subject to paragraph (5), the members of the shadow authority are the persons who, on the coming into force of this Order, are councillors of the Relevant Councils.
(3) Those persons are to be members of the shadow authority throughout the shadow period notwithstanding the dissolution of the Relevant Councils on 1st April 2019.
(4) The proper officer of the Relevant Councils must convene, and make all necessary arrangements for, the first meeting of the shadow authority, which is to be held not later than 14 days after the coming into force of this Order.
(5) Where, after the coming into force of this Order and before 1st October 2018, a by-election is held to fill a casual vacancy arising in any ward of the Relevant Councils, the person elected at the election is to be a member of the shadow authority.
8.—(1) At its first meeting, the shadow authority must, in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3), create a leader and cabinet executive within the meaning of Part 1A of the Local Government Act 2000(7) (arrangements with respect to local authority governance) (“the shadow executive”).
(2) Section 9C of the 2000 Act has effect, for the purposes of paragraph (1), as if subsection (5) were omitted; and the shadow executive is to consist of no more than 15 persons and include—
(a)the two persons who are for the time being the leaders of the Relevant Councils;
(b)at least three persons nominated by Forest Heath District Council, each of whom is for the time being a member of that Council; and
(c)at least three persons nominated by St Edmundsbury Borough Council, each of whom is for the time being a member of that Council.
(4) The persons who, immediately before 1st April 2019, are the members of the shadow executive shall—
(b)on and after 1st April 2019, shall be the members of the West Suffolk Council’s executive for the purposes of Part 1A of the Local Government Act 2000,
until the end of the shadow period, notwithstanding the dissolution on that date of the Relevant Councils by which they were nominated.
(5) If a member of the executive constituted as mentioned in paragraph (4)(b) ceases to be a member of that executive before the end of the shadow period, the West Suffolk Council may in accordance with the terms of the constitution of the Council nominate another member of the Council to be a member of its executive.
(6) The Relevant Councils must co-operate in the establishment of the shadow executive.
(c)section 9E authorised its executive to delegate functions not only to officers of the shadow authority but also to officers of the Relevant Councils.
(8) Chapter 7 of Part 1 of the Localism Act 2011(8) (standards) applies in relation to the shadow authority as if—
9.—(1) At the first meeting of the shadow authority it must designate, on an interim basis, an officer of one of the Relevant Councils—
(i)subsections (2) and (3) of section 5 (designation and reports of monitoring officer) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989(9) (“the 1989 Act”), and
(a)the West Suffolk Council monitoring officer;
is responsible for performing, in relation to West Suffolk Council, the duties referred to in sub-paragraph (a) or (b) of paragraph (1) or the functions of head of paid service of a local authority; and is to perform those duties or such functions until the person to discharge those duties or perform those functions is appointed by that Council and takes up that appointment.
(6) Sections 114 to 116 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988(10) apply in relation to the shadow authority and its interim finance officer as if—
Duties of shadow authority: proposals for executive arrangements, code of conduct and members’ allowances relating to West Suffolk Council
10.—(1) The shadow authority must formulate proposals for the executive arrangements that are to be operated by West Suffolk Council.
(3) The shadow authority must formulate proposals for the code of conduct to be adopted by West Suffolk Council.
(5) The shadow authority must formulate proposals for the scheme of members’ allowances to be adopted by West Suffolk Council.
(b)such budgets and plans as it considers necessary or desirable to facilitate the economic, effective, efficient and timely discharge, on or after 1st April 2019, of the functions that, before that date, are functions of the Relevant Councils.
the shadow authority must have regard to the information supplied to the Secretary of State by the Relevant Councils in support of their proposals for a single district council in West Suffolk.
(3) The shadow authority may, by written notice to the proper officer of either of the Relevant Councils require the council referred to in the notice to take such action relevant to any function of that council that is to transfer on 1st April 2019 as may be specified in the notice.
(b)to prepare the authority for the assumption, as West Suffolk Council, of local government functions and full local authority powers on 1st April 2019;
(c)to prepare any budgets or plans required by West Suffolk Council when those functions are assumed; and
(d)to liaise with Suffolk County Council and the Relevant Councils for the purpose of ensuring continuity of the delivery of public services on and after 1st April 2019.
(a)in the discharge of the functions specified or referred to in articles 8 to 11 and 13; and
(c)where the exercise of the power would involve incurring expenditure or acquiring a liability, where the expenditure or liability relates to a matter which, before 1st April 2019, is the responsibility of one of the Relevant Councils, with the prior consent of that council.
16. The total of the expenditure properly incurred by the shadow authority before 1st April 2019 is to be divided among, and paid by, the Relevant Councils in such proportion as may be agreed between those councils; but, where the shadow authority notifies the Secretary of State that there is no such agreement, the Secretary of State may—
(a)for the purposes of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014(11) as if it were a district council;
(d)for the purposes of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001(12), as a relevant authority.
(2) The members of the Central Implementation Team are to comprise officers from each of the Relevant Councils and the shadow authority.
(3) The leader of the Central Implementation Team is to be an officer of one of the Relevant Councils.
PART 4Electoral matters
Election to West Suffolk Council in 2019 and subsequent years
20.—(1) A whole council election of councillors of West Suffolk Council is to be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2019 and in every fourth year thereafter.
(2) For the purposes of elections of councillors of West Suffolk Council—
(a)West Suffolk is to be divided into wards;
(b)the names of the new wards are those indicated in column 1 of the Table set out in the Schedule to this Order;
(c)the area of each new ward is to be the same as that of the ward or, as the case may be, the wards of the Relevant Councils as those wards existed on 31st March 2019, and as indicated in column 2 of that Table;
(d)each new ward is to return the number of councillors indicated in column 3 of that Table.
(3) At the 2019 election the returning officer shall be the proper officer appointed by the Relevant Councils (“the West Suffolk Council returning officer”).
(4) The West Suffolk Council returning officer must take such steps as are necessary or appropriate to prepare for the 2019 election, including the making of all necessary alterations in the electoral register.
(5) The total of the expenditure properly incurred by the West Suffolk Council returning officer before 1st April 2019 in relation to the holding of the 2019 election is to be divided among, and paid by, the Relevant Councils in such proportion as may be agreed between them; but, where the returning officer notifies the Secretary of State that there is not such agreement, the Secretary of State may—
(a)determine the proportion; or
(6) The total of the expenditure properly incurred by the West Suffolk Council returning officer on and after 1st April 2019 in relation to the holding of the 2019 election is to be paid by the West Suffolk Council.
(7) In relation to the 2019 election, “the appropriate officer” in Parts 1 and 2 of the Representation of the People Act 1983(13) does not have the meaning given by section 67(7) of that Act but means the West Suffolk Council returning officer.
(8) All councillors elected in 2019 or any later year are to retire on the fourth day after the ordinary day of elections of councillors in the year of retirement and the newly-elected councillors are to come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.
PART 5General transitional duties of the Relevant Councils
General transitional duties of the Relevant Councils
21.—(1) The Relevant Councils must—
(a)take, whether alone or together, such steps as may be necessary to prepare for the transfer to West Suffolk Council of the Relevant Councils’ functions, property, rights and liabilities relating to West Suffolk or its inhabitants;
(b)consult and co-operate with one another in order to secure the economic, effective, efficient and timely transfer of those functions, property, rights and liabilities; and
(c)generally, exercise their functions so as to further the purposes of this Order.
(2) Each of the Relevant Councils must—
(a)co-operate in the formation of the Central Implementation Team appointed under article 19, and release the officers concerned from their normal duties at such times or for such periods as the shadow executive may reasonably require; and
(b)provide such information relating to its functions as the other council may reasonably request for the purpose of giving effect to this Order.
(3) Any person authorised in that behalf by the council making the request is entitled, at all reasonable times, on producing evidence of the authority given by that council (if so required by the council from which the information is sought)—
(a)to inspect any record belonging to or under the control of the council providing the information and relating to the council or its functions; and
(4) The rights conferred by paragraph (3) include the right to require any record which is not in legible form to be made available in legible form so that the authorised person may inspect or copy it or be supplied with copies.
SCHEDULEWards of West Suffolk
Abbeygate Abbeygate 2
All Saints and Severals
Bardwell and Barningham
Barrow Barrow 1
Brandon East Brandon East 2
Brandon West Brandon West 2
Cavendish Cavendish 1
Chedburgh Chedburgh 1
Clare and Hundon
Eastgate Eastgate 1
Eriswell and the Rows and Lakenheath
Eriswell and the Rows
Exning and St Marys
Fornham and Great Barton
Great Heath and Market
Haverhill East Haverhill East 3
Haverhill North Haverhill North 3
Haverhill South Haverhill South 2
Haverhill West Haverhill West 2
Horringer and Whelnetham Horringer and Whelnetham 1
Iceni Iceni 1
Ixworth and Stanton
Kedington Kedington 1
Manor Manor 1
Moreton Hall Moreton Hall 3
Minden Minden 2
Northgate and St Olaves
Pakenham Pakenham 1
Risby Risby 1
Risbygate Risbygate 2
Rougham Rougham 1
South and Red Lodge
Southgate and Westgate
Wickhambrook Wickhambrook 1
Withersfield Withersfield 1
This Order establishes a new non-metropolitan district, West Suffolk, in the county of Suffolk; establishes West Suffolk Council as the district council for West Suffolk and abolishes Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury districts and their councils (articles 3 to 5).
The Order provides for the establishment of a shadow authority before West Suffolk Council takes on full responsibility for local government matters on 1st April 2019 with members appointed from the existing councils; for the creation of a shadow executive and for the creation of a Central Implementation Team to support the executive. The shadow authority and shadow executive are tasked with making all necessary preparations in advance of 1st April 2019 (including preparing and keeping under review an implementation plan and appointment of key officers); the costs of the shadow authority and shadow executive are to be met by the existing district councils (articles 6 to 19).
Part 4 of the Order deals with electoral matters including provision that a whole council election of councillors of West Suffolk Council is to take place on the ordinary day of election in 2019 and in every fourth year thereafter (article 20).
Part 5 of the Order imposes general transitional duties on the existing district councils, in particular to co-operate with each other and the shadow authority and shadow executive (article 21).
The Schedule sets out the electoral wards of West Suffolk.
2007 c. 28. Sections 10, 11 and 12 were amended by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (c. 20), sections 65, 67, 146 and Schedules 4 and 7.
Section 8 was modified, in its application to Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council, by S.I. 2018/613.
See section 37 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2).