LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 This Order may be cited as the District of Rochford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. 2 This article and articles 2, 3, 9, 10 and 11 shall come into force— a for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 2nd May 2002, on 15th October 2001; b for all other purposes, on 2nd May 2002. 3 Articles 4, 5 and 6 shall come into force— a for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Ashingdon, Great Wakering, and Hawkwell, on 1st May 2003, on 15th October 2002; b for all other purposes, on 1st May 2003. 4 Articles 7 and 8 shall come into force— a for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Hockley and Rayleigh on 6th May 2004, on 15th October 2003; b for all other purposes, on 6th May 2004. 5 In this Order— “district” means the district of Rochford; “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 for Transport, Local Government and the Regions marked “Map of the District of Rochford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994 ; and any reference to a numbered sheet is a reference to the sheet of the map which bears that number. Wards of the District of Rochford 2 1 The existing wards of the district shall be abolished. 2 The district shall be divided into nineteen 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. Elections of the council of the district of Rochford 3 1 Subject to the following provisions of this article, the election of councillors for wards of the district shall be by thirds. 2 Elections of all councillors for all wards of the district shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002 . 3 The councillors holding office for any ward of the district immediately before 6th May 2002 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 2002 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. 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 preceding 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 Ashingdon 4 1 The existing wards of the parish of Ashingdon shall be abolished. 2 The parish 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 district 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 Great Wakering 5 1 The existing wards of the parish of Great Wakering shall be abolished. 2 The parish shall be divided into three parish wards which shall bear the names Great Wakering East, Great Wakering Central, and Great Wakering West; 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 councillors to be elected for the Great Wakering Central parish ward shall be five, and for each of the Great Wakering East and Great Wakering West parish wards shall be four. Wards of the parish of Hawkwell 6 1 The existing wards of the parish of Hawkwell shall be abolished. 2 The parish shall be divided into three 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 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 Hockley 7 1 The existing wards of the parish of Hockley shall be abolished. 2 The parish 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 district 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 Rayleigh 8 1 The existing wards of the parish of Rayleigh shall be abolished. 2 The parish shall be divided into eight parish wards which shall bear the names Central, Downhall, Grange, Lodge, Sweyne Park, Trinity, Wheatley and Whitehouse; the parish wards of Grange, Lodge, Sweyne Park, Trinity, Wheatley and Whitehouse shall comprise the area of the district wards of the same name, the Central parish ward shall comprise the area of the district ward of Rayleigh Central; and the Downhall parish ward shall consist of the rest of the parish. 3 The number of councillors to be elected for each of the Grange, Lodge, Sweyne Park, Trinity, Wheatley and Whitehouse parish wards shall be three and for the Downhall parish ward shall be two. Wards of the parish of Rochford 9 1 The wards of the parish of Rochford shall be abolished. 2 The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names Eastwood, North, Roche and St Andrews; 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 the Roche parish ward shall be six, for the St Andrews parish ward shall be five, for the Eastwood parish ward shall be four, and for the North parish ward shall be two. Parish elections 10 1 Elections of all parish councillors for the parish of Rochford shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002 and every fourth year after 2002. 2 Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Hockley and Hullbridge shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 and every fourth year after 2004. 3 The term of office of any parish councillor to whom paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of this article applies shall be four years; and those 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 councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire. Revocation 11 The District of Rochford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975 is hereby revoked. Signed by authority of the Secretary of State, for Transport, Local Government and the Regions Alan Whitehead Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 18th July 2001