The Maidstone (Electoral Changes) Order 2025
The Maidstone (Electoral Changes) Order 2025 alters county electoral division and borough ward boundaries in Maidstone, England.
These changes, effective from 2025 and 2028 respectively, implement recommendations by Maidstone Borough Council, reflecting parish boundary adjustments made in 2023.
The Order ensures election procedures align with updated community governance structures.
Arguments For
Improved electoral fairness: The boundary changes aim to ensure more equitable representation by aligning electoral divisions and wards with updated parish boundaries and community governance changes.
Efficient administration: The changes simplify electoral administration by reflecting the revised structure established by the Maidstone Borough (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2023. This avoids potential confusion and overlap.
Legal compliance: The Order is made under the authority of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, ensuring compliance with existing legislation regarding electoral boundaries.
Local input: The changes are based on recommendations from Maidstone Borough Council, reflecting local knowledge and concerns.
Arguments Against
Potential disruption: Changing electoral boundaries can cause temporary disruption to electoral processes and voter familiarity with their representatives.
Unforeseen consequences: While a full impact assessment wasn't deemed necessary, unforeseen issues could arise from alterations in electoral composition or voter turnout.
Resource implications: Implementing changes often involves administrative costs for updating electoral rolls and informing voters about the changes.
Limited public consultation: The process may not have provided sufficient opportunity for all stakeholders to express their views about the specific boundary alterations.
Citation, commencement, extent and application1.
(1)
This Order may be cited as the Maidstone (Electoral Changes) Order 2025.
(2)
This article and article 2 (interpretation) come into force on the day after the day on which this Order is made.
(3)
Article 3 (alteration of county electoral division boundaries) comes 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 England3 in 2025.
(4)
Article 4 (alteration of borough ward boundaries) comes into force—
(a)
for the purpose of proceedings preliminary or relating to the election of councillors, on 15th October 2027;
(b)
for all other purposes, on the ordinary day of election of councillors in England in 2028.
(5)
This Order extends to England and Wales but applies in relation to England only.
This section establishes the order's title, effective dates, and geographic scope.
Clause (1) names the order.
Clause (2) details the immediate enforcement of this and the following section regarding definitions.
Clause (3) states that changes to County Electoral Division boundaries are effective the day after the Order for preliminary election matters and on the 2025 ordinary election day for all other purposes.
Clause (4) lays out that borough ward boundary changes take effect October 15th, 2027, for preliminary matters, and on the 2028 ordinary election day for everything else.
Lastly, clause (5) clarifies the order's application to England only, despite extending to both England and Wales.
Interpretation2.
In this Order—
“the Council’s Order” means the Maidstone Borough (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 20234;
“the Map” means the map in Schedule 2 to the Council’s Order and any reference to an “area” is a reference to an area identified on a sheet of that map by way of the letter assigned to it.
This section defines key terms. "The Council’s Order" is defined as the 2023 Maidstone Borough (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order. "The Map" refers to the map within Schedule 2 of that 2023 Order, with referenced areas identified by letter.
Alteration of county electoral division boundaries3.
(1)
The area marked A on the 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.
(2)
The area marked B on the Map that ceases to be part of the parish of Boughton Monchelsea and becomes part of the parish of Langley by virtue of the Council’s Order, ceases to be part of the Maidstone South East county electoral division and becomes part of the Maidstone Rural South county electoral division.
(3)
The area marked H on the Map that ceases to be part of the parish of Boxley and becomes part of the parish of Thurnham by virtue of the Council’s Order, ceases to be part of the Maidstone Rural North county electoral division and becomes part of the Maidstone Rural East county electoral division.
(4)
The area marked J on the Map that ceases to be part of the parish of Downswood and becomes part of an unparished area by virtue of the Council’s Order, ceases to be part of the Maidstone South East county electoral division and becomes part of the Maidstone South county electoral division.
(5)
The area marked M on the Map that ceases to be part of the parish of Tovil and becomes part of an unparished area by virtue of the Council’s Order, ceases to be part of the Maidstone South county electoral division and becomes part of the Maidstone Central county electoral division.
This section details the specific changes to county electoral division boundaries.
Each clause (1-5) defines how an area, identified by a letter on the map within the 2023 order, shifts from one division into another, reflecting the 2023 parish boundary adjustments.
Alteration of borough ward boundaries4.
(1)
The area marked A on the 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 Barming Heath & Teston borough ward and becomes part of the Fant & Oakwood borough ward.
(2)
The area marked C on the Map that ceases to be part of the parish of Loose and becomes part of the parish of Boughton Monchelsea by virtue of the Council’s Order, ceases to be part of the Loose & Linton borough ward and becomes part of the Boughton Monchelsea & Chart Sutton borough ward.
(3)
The area marked L on the Map that ceases to be part of the parish of Tovil and becomes part of the parish of Loose by virtue of the Council’s Order, ceases to be part of the Tovil borough ward and becomes part of the Loose & Linton borough ward.
This section specifies the alterations to borough ward boundaries.
Similar to the previous section, each clause describes how areas (identified by letters on the referenced map) move from one ward to another, directly resulting from the previously mentioned 2023 parish boundary revisions.
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