1. These Regulations may be cited as the Local Government (Changes in Electoral Arrangements) Regulations 1985 and shall come into operation on 1st March 1985.

2.-(1) Where an electoral arrangements order comes into full operation on a day other than one on which an ordinary election of relevant councillors is held, then, until the holding of such an ordinary election, the electoral arrangements which existed prior to the coming into full operation of that order shall continue to have effect for the purposes of an election to fill a casual vacancy (or vacancies).

(2) In this Regulation:

"electoral arrangements order" means an order under Part IV of the Local Government Act 1972 which makes a substantive change (within the meaning of section 47(1)(i) of that Act) to the electoral arrangements for a principal area; and

"relevant councillors" means the councillors to be elected to the council of the area to which the order in question applies.

3. Where a register of local government electors has been prepared and published on the basis of the coming into full operation of an electoral arrangements order to which Regulation 2 above applies, the registration officer shall make such alteration of that register as may be necessary for the purposes of any election to fill a casual vacancy (or vacancies) prior to the holding of an ordinary election.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations apply where an order made under Part IV of the Local Government Act 1972 which makes substantive changes to the electoral arrangements for a principal area comes into full operation on a day other than one on which an ordinary election of councillors is held. Regulation 2 continues the previous electoral arrangements in force for the purposes of elections to fill casual vacancies until the holding of such an ordinary election. Regulation 3 provides for the re-arrangement of the register of electors in respect of any such election to fill a casual vacancy.