LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 This Order may be cited as the Borough of Ashford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. 2 This Order shall come into force— a for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 1st May 2003, on 15th October 2002; b for all other purposes, on 1st May 2003. 3 In this Order— “borough” means the borough of Ashford; “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 for Transport, Local Government and the Regions marked “Map of the Borough of Ashford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994 . Wards of the borough of Ashford 2 1 The existing wards of the borough shall be abolished. 2 The borough shall be divided into thirty-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, parish wards, parishes and parish wards 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 Ashford 3 1 The ordinary elections of all councillors of the borough of Ashford shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of non-metropolitan district councillors in 2003 and every fourth year after 2003. 2 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 Great Chart with Singleton 4 1 The parish of Great Chart with Singleton shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names Great Chart with Singleton North and Singleton South; and each parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward bearing the same name. 2 The number of councillors to be elected for the Great Chart with Singleton North parish ward shall be five, and for the Singleton South parish ward shall be six. Wards of the parish of Kingsnorth 5 1 The existing wards of the parish of Kingsnorth shall be abolished. 2 The parish of Kingsnorth shall be divided into five parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 2; 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 two. Wards of the parish of Sevington 6 The parish of Sevington 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 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 one. Wards of the parish of Stanhope 7 1 The parish of Stanhope shall be divided into two parish wards which shall bear the names Stanhope Central and Stanhope Speldhurst; the Stanhope Central parish ward shall comprise the area of the borough ward of Stanhope; and the Stanhope Speldhurst parish ward shall consist of the rest of the parish. 2 The number of councillors to be elected for the Stanhope Central parish ward shall be ten, and for the Stanhope Speldhurst parish ward shall be one. Wards of the parish of Tenterden 8 1 The existing wards of the parish of Tenterden shall be abolished. 2 The parish shall be divided into four parish wards which shall bear the names St Michaels, Tenterden North, Tenterden South and Tenterden West; the parish wards of St Michaels, Tenterden North and Tenterden South shall comprise the areas of the borough wards of the same name; and the Tenterden West parish ward shall consist of the rest of the parish. 3 The number of councillors to be elected for each of the St Michaels and Tenterden South parish wards shall be five, for the Tenterden North parish ward shall be four, and for the Tenterden West parish ward shall be two. Revocation 9 The Borough of Ashford (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 1st November 2001