LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 This Order may be cited as the Borough of Darlington (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 Darlington; “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 Darlington (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 Darlington 2 1 The existing wards of the borough shall be abolished. 2 The borough shall be divided into twenty-four 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 Darlington 3 1 The ordinary elections of all councillors of the borough of Darlington 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 any councillor so elected shall be four years and on the fourth day after any such elections the persons who were councillors immediately before those elections shall retire and the newly elected councillors shall come in to office. Wards of the parish of Archdeacon Newton 4 The parish of Archdeacon Newton shall be divided into two 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 the number specified in respect of the parish ward in column (3) of that Schedule. Wards of the parish of Whessoe 5 The parish of Whessoe 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 the number specified in respect of the parish ward in column (3) of that Schedule. Revocation 6 The Borough of Darlington (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976 and article 9 of the Durham (Borough of Darlington) (Structural Changes) Order 1995 are 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 4th October 2001