LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 This Order may be cited as the District of Stratford on Avon (Electoral Changes) Order 2000. 2 This Order shall come into force— a for the purpose of article 5(1) and 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— “district” means the district of Stratford on Avon; “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 District of Stratford on Avon (Electoral Changes) Order 2000”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994 . Wards of the district of Stratford on Avon 2 1 The existing wards of the district shall be abolished. 2 The district shall be divided into thirty-one 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 no area is 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 Stratford on Avon 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 borough 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 Stratford-upon-Avon 4 1 The existing wards of the parish of Stratford-upon-Avon shall be abolished. 2 The parish shall be divided into four parish wards, which shall bear the names Stratford Alveston, Stratford Avenue and New Town, Stratford Guild and Hathaway, and Stratford Mount Pleasant; and each parish ward shall comprise the area of the district ward bearing the same name. 3 The number of councillors to be elected for each of the Stratford Alveston, Stratford Avenue and New Town and Stratford Guild and Hathaway parish wards shall be five, and for the Stratford Mount Pleasant parish ward shall be three. Parish elections 5 1 The ordinary elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Gaydon and Kineton in 2002 shall not take place; and any such parish councillor holding office immediately before 6th May 2002 who would, but for this paragraph, have retired on that date shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003. 2 The ordinary elections of parish councillors for the parishes of Bishops Itchington and Harbury in 2003 shall not take place; and any such parish councillor holding office immediately before 5th May 2003 who would, but for this paragraph, have retired on that date shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004. 3 The term of office of any parish councillor elected on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 1999 for the parishes of Admington, Butlers Marston, Halford, Hampton Lucy, Long Itchington, Long Marston, Oxhill, Pillerton Hersey, Pillerton Priors, Preston-on-Stour, Quinton, Ratley and Upton, Ufton, Shotteswell, Snitterfield, Tanworth-in-Arden, Tysoe and Warmington shall be three years. 4 The term of office of any parish councillor elected on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2000 for the parishes of Barton-on-the-Heath, Great Wolford, Ilmington, Little Compton, Long Compton, Napton-on-the-Hill, Priors Marston, Stretton-on-Fosse, Tredington and Whichford shall be three years. 5 Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Aston Cantlow, Alderminster, Binton, Burton Dassett, Claverdon, Ettington, Exhall, Halford, Haselor, Langley, Loxley, Luddington, Old Stratford and Drayton, Radway, Ratley and Upton, Temple Grafton, Shotteswell, and Warmington shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002, 2004 and every fourth year after 2004. 6 Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Admington, Butlers Marston, Hampton Lucy, Long Itchington, Long Marston, Oxhill, Pillerton Hersey, Pillerton Priors, Preston-on-Stour, Quinton, Snitterfield, Tanworth-in-Arden, Tysoe and Ufton shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2002 and every fourth year after 2002. 7 Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Barton-on-the-Heath, Brailes, Cherington, Coughton, Great Alne, Great Wolford, Kinwarton, Little Compton, Long Compton, Morton Bagot, Oldberrow, Sambourne, Spernall, Stourton, Stretton-on-Fosse and Whichford shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003, 2006 and every fourth year after 2006. 8 Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Gaydon, Ilmington, Kineton, Napton-on-the-Hill, Priors Marston and Tredington shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003 and every fourth year after 2003. 9 Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Bishops Itchington and Harbury shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 and every fourth year after 2004. 10 Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Coughton, Morton Bagot, Oldberrow, Sambourne and Spernall shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2006 and every fourth year after 2006. 11 The term of office of every councillor elected, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (5), in 2002, shall be two years; and each such councillor shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004. 12 The term of office of every councillor elected, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (7), in 2003, shall be three years; and each such councillor shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, continue to hold office until the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2006. 13 The councillors elected, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (5) or (7), in 2002 or 2003 respectively, shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire. 14 Where any provision of an order made before the making of this Order requires an election of parish councillors for a parish mentioned in any of paragraphs (5) to (10) to be held on a date other than that for which that paragraph provides, it shall cease to have effect to that extent. 15 Rule 8 of the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 1986 (filling of casual vacancies) shall have effect, in the case of a casual vacancy occuring before 8th May 2004 in the office of a parish councillor for the parishes of Bishops Itchington, Gaydon, Harbury, Kineton and Tanworth as if the references in paragraphs (1) and (4) of that rule to the day on which that councillor would regularly have retired were a reference to 8th May 2004. Revocation 6 The District of Stratford-on-Avon (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1977 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 28th July 2000