The Maidstone (Electoral Changes) (Amendment) Order 2025

Published: Mon 7th Apr 25

The Maidstone (Electoral Changes) (Amendment) Order 2025 corrects errors in the 2025 Order regarding electoral boundaries in Maidstone, England.

The amendment ensures that the boundary changes accurately reflect recommendations from the Maidstone Borough Council, resolving a discrepancy originating from a failure to correctly implement those recommendations.

The Order specifies implementation dates for various purposes, and its scope extends to England and Wales but applies only in England.

Arguments For

Correcting Errors: This amendment directly addresses errors in the original Maidstone (Electoral Changes) Order 2025, ensuring the accurate reflection of Maidstone Borough Council's recommendations regarding electoral boundaries.
Legal Compliance: The amendment ensures compliance with Section 92(3) of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, upholding the legal framework for electoral boundary changes.
Fair Representation: By correcting the errors, the amendment ensures fair and accurate representation of the affected areas within the council electoral divisions. The original errors could have resulted in misrepresentation.
Efficiency and Resource Management: The free issue procedure avoids duplication of effort and resources associated with a full re-publication.

Arguments Against

Potential for Further Errors: While this amendment corrects identified errors, there remains a possibility of undiscovered errors within the original order or this amendment.
Resource Allocation: Even with the free issue procedure, there's a cost associated with correcting the earlier errors, including administrative burden and potential challenges for those affected.
Delayed Implementation: The staggered implementation across different purposes might cause confusion or create administrative complexities, particularly concerning the elections.

Citation, commencement and extent (1) This Order may be cited as the Maidstone (Electoral Changes) (Amendment) Order 2025. (2) This article and paragraphs (1) and (2) of article 2 (amendment of the Maidstone (Electoral Changes) Order 2025) come into force on the day after the day on which this Order is made. (3) Paragraphs (3) and (4) of article 2 come into force— (a) for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of councillors, on the day after the day on which this Order is made; (b) for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of election of councillors in England in 2025. (4) This Order extends to England and Wales but applies in relation to England only.

This section details the order's title, effective dates, and geographic scope.

The order's name is established.

Certain parts come into force the day after its enactment; others come into force on the regular council election day in 2025.

The order applies to England only, despite extending legally to both England and Wales.

Amendment of the Maidstone (Electoral Changes) Order 2025 (1) The Maidstone (Electoral Changes) Order 2025 (“the 2025 Order”) is amended as follows. (2) In article 2 (interpretation), before the definition of “the Council’s Order” insert— ““the Appended Map” means the map in the Schedule to this Order and any reference to an area marked on the Appended Map is a reference to an area identified on that map by way of the letter assigned to it;”. (3) In article 3 (alteration of county electoral division boundaries), for paragraph (1) substitute— “(1) Each area marked A on the Appended Map that ceases to be part of an unparished area and becomes part of the parish of Barming by virtue of the Council’s Order, ceases to be part of the Maidstone Central county electoral division and becomes part of the Maidstone Rural West county electoral division.”. (4) At the end of the 2025 Order insert— SCHEDULE The Appended Map

This section specifies the changes to the 2025 Order.

It adds a definition of "the Appended Map" to clarify references within the document.

Crucially, it alters Article 3, changing the boundaries of Maidstone Central and Maidstone Rural West electoral divisions by incorporating areas marked 'A' on the appended map, these areas transferring from unparished areas to the parish of Barming.

A new schedule containing a map detailing the boundary changes is added .

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