Citation, commencement, application and interpretation

1. —(1) This Order may be cited as the Boroughs of Halton, Thurrock and Warrington (Changes to Years of Elections) Order 2002 and shall come into force on 24th July 2002.

(2) This Order applies in relation to England only( 2 ).

(3) In this Order—

“relevant borough” means the borough of a local authority specified in paragraph (a), (b), or (c) of article 2; and

“relevant parish” means the parish of a local authority described in paragraph (d) or (e) of article 2.

Specified authorities

2. The following local authorities are specified for the purposes of this Order—

(a) the council of the borough of Halton;

(b) the council of the borough of Thurrock;

(c) the council of the borough of Warrington;

(d) the parish councils of the parishes within the borough of Halton; and

(e) the parish councils of the parishes within the borough of Warrington.

Changes to years of elections

3. —(1) The ordinary elections of councillors of a relevant borough that would, but for this Order, have taken place on the ordinary day of election of councillors( 3 ) in 2003 shall instead take place on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004.

(2) The ordinary elections of councillors of a relevant borough that would, but for this Order, have taken place on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 shall instead take place on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2005.

(3) The ordinary elections of parish councillors of a relevant parish that would, but for this Order, have taken place on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003 and every fourth year after 2003 shall instead take place on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 and every fourth year after 2004.

Retirement of councillors

4. —(1) Any councillor of a relevant borough and any parish councillor of a relevant parish holding office immediately before the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2003 who would, but for this Order, have retired on that date shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, retire instead on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004.

(2) Any councillor of a relevant borough holding office immediately before the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2004 who would, but for this Order, have retired on that date shall, unless he resigns his office or it otherwise becomes vacant, retire instead on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2005.

(3) The term of office of councillors of a relevant borough who are elected on the ordinary day of elections in 2004 or 2005 shall be three years.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in the preceding paragraphs of this article, the term of office of councillors of a relevant borough and parish councillors of a relevant parish shall be four years.

(5) All councillors and parish 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 and parish councillors shall come into office on the day on which their predecessors retire.

Revocations

5. Article 3(10) and (11) of the Borough of Thurrock (Electoral Changes) Order 1997( 4 ), article 3(10) and (11) of the Borough of Halton (Electoral Changes) Order 1997( 5 ) and article 4(10) and (11) of the Borough of Warrington (Parishes and Electoral Changes) Order 1997( 6 ) are hereby revoked.