LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 This Order may be cited as the City of Stoke-on-Trent (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 2nd May 2002, on 10th October 2001; b for all other purposes, on 2nd May 2002. 3 In this Order— “city” means the city of Stoke-on-Trent; “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 of the Environment, Transport and the Regions marked “Map of the City of Stoke-on-Trent (Electoral Changes) Order 2001”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994 . Wards of the city of Stoke-on-Trent 2 1 The existing wards of the city shall be abolished. 2 The city shall be divided into twenty wards which shall bear the names set out in the Schedule. 3 The wards shall comprise the areas 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 three. 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 city of Stoke-on-Trent 3 1 Subject to the following provisions of this article, the election of councillors for wards of the city shall be by thirds. 2 Elections of all councillors for all wards of the city shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002 . 3 The councillors holding office for any ward of the city 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 Of the councillors elected in 2002 in each ward of the city— a the first to retire, in 2003, shall, subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), be the councillor elected by the smallest number of votes; b the second to retire, in 2004, shall, subject to those paragraphs, be the councillor elected by the next smallest number of votes; and c the remaining councillor shall retire in 2006. 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. 8 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. Revocation 4 The City of Stoke-on-Trent (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976 is hereby revoked. Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions Beverley Hughes Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions 10th April 2001