LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND Citation and commencement 1 1 This Order may be cited as the Borough of Hartlepool (Electoral Changes) Order 2003. 2 This Order shall come into force – a for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to any election to be held on 6th May 2004, on 15th October 2003; b for all other purposes, on 6th May 2004. Interpretation 2 In this Order – “borough” means the borough of Hartlepool; “existing”, in relation to a ward, means the ward as it exists on the date this Order is made; andany reference to the map is a reference to the map marked “Map referred to in the Borough of Hartlepool (Electoral Changes) Order 2003”, of which prints are available for inspection at – the principal office of the Electoral Commission; and the offices of Hartlepool Borough Council. Wards of the borough of Hartlepool 3 1 The existing wards of the borough shall be abolished. 2 The borough shall be divided into seventeen 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 the borough of Hartlepool 4 1 Elections of all councillors for all wards of the borough shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 . 2 The councillors holding office for any ward of the borough immediately before 10th May 2004 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors for those wards shall come into office on that date. 3 The order of retirement of councillors shall be as set out in Schedule 2. 4 Where the number of councillors elected in 2004 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. 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. Parish elections 5 1 Elections of all parish councillors for the parishes of Dalton Piercy , Elwick and Hart shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2006 and every fourth year after 2006. 2 Elections of all parish councillors for the parish of Greatham shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2007 and every fourth year after 2007. 3 The term of office of all parish councillors elected in accordance with any of the paragraphs above shall be four years; and they 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. Maps 6 Hartlepool Borough Council shall make a print of the map marked “Map referred to in the Borough of Hartlepool (Electoral Changes) Order 2003” available for inspection at its offices by any member of the public at any reasonable time. Electoral registers 7 The Electoral Registration Officer for the borough shall make such rearrangement of, or adaptation of, the register of local government electors as may be necessary for the purposes of, and in consequence of, this Order. Revocation 8 The Borough of Hartlepool (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975 is revoked, save for articles 8 and 9(9). Signed by the members of the Electoral Commission Pamela Gordon Commissioner 10th April 2003 Glyn Mathias Commissioner 10th April 2003 Neil McIntosh Commissioner 10th April 2003 Karamjit Singh Commissioner 10th April 2003 Sam Younger Commissioner 10th April 2003 Graham Zellick Commissioner 10th April 2003