LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 This Order may be cited as the County of Northumberland (Electoral Changes) Order 2000. 2 This article and articles 2 and 5 shall come into force— a for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 3rd May 2001, on 10th October 2000; b for all other purposes, on 3rd May 2001. 3 Articles 3 and 4 of this Order shall come into force— a for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election of a parish councillor for the parish of Hexham or Morpeth on 1st May 2003, on 10th October 2002; b for all other purposes, on 1st May 2003. 4 In this Order— “county” means the county of Northumberland; “existing”, in relation to a division or ward, means the division or ward as it exists on the date this Order is made; references to wards, unless the context otherwise requires, are references to district and borough wards in the county ; and 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 County of Northumberland (Electoral Changes) Order 2000”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994 . Divisions of the county of Northumberland 2 1 The existing divisions of the county shall be abolished. 2 The county shall be divided into sixty-seven divisions which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 1. 3 The divisions shall comprise the areas described in column (2) of that Schedule by reference to wards, or wards and parishes or, where no area is so described, the area designated on the map by reference to the name of the division and demarcated by red lines; and the number of councillors to be elected for each division shall be one. 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. Wards of the parishes of Hexham 3 1 The existing wards of the parish of Hexham shall be abolished. 2 The parish of Hexham shall be divided into six parish wards which shall bear the names set out in column (1) of Schedule 2; each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district ward or county division 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 Morpeth 4 1 The existing wards of the parish of Morpeth shall be abolished. 2 The parish of Morpeth shall be divided into seven 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 or county division 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. Revocation 5 The County of Northumberland (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1980, article 3 of the District of Tynedale (Electoral Changes) Order 1998 and article 2 of the Borough of Castle Morpeth (Electoral Changes) Order 1998 are hereby revoked. Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions Hilary Armstrong Minister of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions 11th September 2000