Explanatory note

This Order gives effect, on 1st April 2001, to parish boundary recommendations made by New Forest District Council. Subject to that, it also gives effect to recommendations by the Local Government Commission for England (“the LGC”) for electoral changes in the district of New Forest. Those changes have effect in relation to local government elections to be held on and after 1st May 2003.

Article 2 transfers three small areas of land (comprising 7 dwellings) from the parish of Fawley to the parish of Hythe and Dibden. In consequence of these transfers, the Secretary of State has decided to modify the recommendations of the LGC for the district wards of Fawley, Blackfield and Langley, and Furzedown and Hardley so that the boundaries of those wards reflect the new parish boundaries of the two parishes of Fawley and Hythe and Dibden.

Article 3 abolishes the existing wards of the district and provides for the creation of 34 new wards. That article and Schedule 1 also make provision for the names and areas of, and numbers of councillors for, the new wards.

Articles 4 to 11 make electoral changes in the parishes of Copythorne, Fawley, Hordle, Hythe and Dibden, Lymington and Pennington, New Milton, Ringwood, and Totton and Eling.

Article 12 revokes the District of New Forest (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976.

The areas of the new parish and district wards are demarcated on the map described in article 1(4). Prints of the map may be inspected at all reasonable times at the offices of the New Forest District Council and at the offices of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 2nd Floor, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.