Section 52ZG Arrangements for referendumF1

England and Wales

(1)

The billing authority must make arrangements to hold a referendum in relation to the authority's relevant basic amount of council tax for the financial year in accordance with this section.

(2)

Subject as follows, the referendum is to be held on a date decided by the billing authority.

(3)

That date must be not later than—

(a)

the first Thursday in May in the financial year, or

(b)

such other date in that year as the Secretary of State may specify by order.

(4)

An order under subsection (3) above must be made not later than—

(a)

1 February in the financial year preceding the year mentioned in paragraph (b) of that subsection, or

(b)

in the case of an order affecting more than one financial year, 1 February in the financial year preceding the first of those years.

(5)

The persons entitled to vote in the referendum are those who, on the day of the referendum—

(a)

would be entitled to vote as electors at an election for members for an electoral area of the billing authority, and

(b)

are registered in the register of local government electors at an address within the billing authority's area.

(F25A)

As soon as is reasonably practicable after determining that it is required to hold a referendum in relation to its relevant basic amount of council tax for the financial year, the billing authority must notify that fact in writing to any body that has issued a levy or a special levy to it for the financial year.

(6)

In this section—

“electoral area” means—
1. (a)
  where the billing authority is a district council, a London borough council or the Common Council of the City of London, a ward;
2. (b)
  where the billing authority is a county council, an electoral division;
3. (c)
  where the billing authority is the Council of the Isles of Scilly, a parish;
“register of local government electors” means the register of local government electors kept in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Acts.