The City of Bristol (Electoral Changes) Order 1998

Made: 3rd November 1998

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)

Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 17² and 26 of the Local Government Act 1992, and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the City of Bristol (Electoral Changes) Order 1998.

• (2) This Order shall come into force on 6th May 1999, except that for the purpose of all proceedings preliminary or relating to an election to be held on or after that date this Order shall come into force on the day after that on which it is made.

• (3) In this Order–

• “the city” means the City of Bristol;

• “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 Bristol (Electoral Changes) Order 1998”, and deposited in accordance with regulation 27 of the Local Government Changes for England Regulations 1994³.

Wards of Bristol

2

• (1) The existing wards of the city⁴ shall be abolished.

• (2) The city shall be divided into 35 wards which shall bear the names set out in Schedule 1.

• (3) The wards shall comprise the areas designated on the map by reference to the names of the wards and demarcated by red lines; and the number of councillors to be elected for each ward shall be two.

• (4) Where a boundary is shown on the map as running along a road, railway line, footway, waterway or other similar geographical feature, it shall be treated as running along the centre line of the feature.

Elections of the council of Bristol

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 wards of the city shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 1999⁵.

• (3) The councillors holding office for any ward in the city immediately before 10th May 1999 shall retire on that date and the newly elected councillors for any such ward 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 1999 for any ward of the city is two, the first to retire shall, subject to paragraphs (6) and (7) below, be the councillor elected by the smaller 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 foregoing 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.

Revocations

4

The City of Bristol (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1980⁶ and article 8 of the Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995 are hereby revoked.

SCHEDULE 1 — CITY OF BRISTOL: NAMES OF WARDS

Name of New Ward

• Ashley

• Avonmouth

• Bedminster

• Bishopston

• Bishopsworth

• Brislington East

• Brislington West

• Cabot

• Clifton

• Clifton East

• Cotham

• Easton

• Eastville

• Filwood

• Frome Vale

• Hartcliffe

• Henbury

• Hengrove

• Henleaze

• Hillfields

• Horfield

• Kingsweston

• Knowle

• Lawrence Hill

• Lockleaze

• Redland

• St George East

• St George West

• Southmead

• Southville

• Stockwood

• Stoke Bishop

• Westbury-on-Trym

• Whitchurch Park

• Windmill Hill

SCHEDULE 2 — ORDER OF RETIREMENT OF COUNCILLORS

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State

Hilary Armstrong — Minister of State, — Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions — 3rd November 1998

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect subject to a modification to the boundary between the wards of Easton and Lockleaze, to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England for electoral changes in the city of Bristol.

Article 2 abolishes all of the existing wards of the city and provides for the creation of 35 new wards. That article and Schedule 1 also make provision for the names and areas of, and numbers of councillors for, the new wards.

Article 3 makes provision for a whole council election in Bristol in 1999 and for reversion to elections by thirds in subsequent years. That article and Schedule 2 provide for the order of retirement of councillors.

Article 4 revokes the City of Bristol (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1980 and article 8 of the Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995.

The areas of the new city wards are demarcated on the map described in article 1(3). Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of Bristol City Council and at the offices of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which are located at 2nd Floor, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.

Footnotes