Issued on behalf of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland - 20 July 2005

Review of Local Government Electoral Arrangements Fife Council Area

As required by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has made arrangements to publish its provisional proposals for revised electoral arrangements in Fife Council area on 21 July 2005. The legislation requires that the Commission should make proposals for revised electoral arrangements comprising wards suitable for returning either 3 or 4 members using a single transferable vote system of proportional representation.

The Commission’s provisional proposals for Fife Council area are as follows:

Ward Number Ward Name Forecast Number of Electors Number of Elected Members

• 1 West Fife and Coastal Villages 14,250 4
• 2 Dunfermline North 10,000 3
• 3 Dunfermline Central 14,240 4
• 4 Dunfermline South 14,800 4
• 5 Rosyth 10,390 3
• 6 Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay 13,250 4
• 7 The Lochs 10,120 3
• 8 Cowdenbeath 11,060 3
• 9 Fife Coalfields 10,245 3
• 10 Burntisland, Kinghorn and Western Kirkcaldy 11,165 3
• 11 Kirkcaldy North 11,055 3
• 12 Kirkcaldy Central 11,490 3
• 13 Kirkcaldy East 10,580 3
• 14 Glenrothes West and Kinglassie 13,670 4
• 15 Glenrothes North, Leslie and Markinch 13,880 4
• 16 Glenrothes Central and Thornton 10,600 3
• 17 Howe of Fife 11,530 3
• 18 Tay Bridgehead 10,495 3
• 19 St Andrews 13,455 4
• 20 East Neuk 10,400 3
• 21 Cupar 11,040 3
• 22 Leven, Kennoway and Largo 14,890 4
• 23 Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss 14,055 4

The number of Councillors remains unchanged at 78.

As part of the statutory consultation process, arrangements have been made for maps showing the boundaries of the proposed electoral wards to be deposited for public inspection at the following locations:

• Fife House, North Street Glenrothes
• Town House, 2 Wemyssfield Kirkcaldy
• City Chambers, Kirkgate Dunfermline
• County Buildings, 17 St Catherine Street Cupar
• Cupar Library, 33 Crossgate Cupar
• St Andrews Library, Church Square St Andrews
• Dunfermline Carnegie Library, Abbot Street Dunfermline
• Cowdenbeath Library, North End Works, High Street Cowdenbeath
• Dalgety Bay Library, Regents Way Dalgety Bay
• Lochgelly Library, 2-4 High Street Lochgelly
• Rosyth Library, Parkgate Community Centre, Parkgate Rosyth
• Inverkeithing Library, Church Street Inverkeithing
• Kirkcaldy Central Library, Museum & Art Gallery, Abbotshall Road Kirkcaldy
• Rothes Halls Library, Rothes Halls, Rothes Square Glenrothes
• Methil Library, Wellesley Road Methil
• Leven Library, 16 Durie Street Leven
• Burntisland Library, 102 High Street Burntisland
• Newburgh Local Office, Tayside Institute, 90-92 High Street Newburgh
• Anstruther Local Office, Ladywalk Anstruther
• Tayport Local Office, Municipal Buildings, 17 Queen Street Tayport

Maps illustrating the provisional proposals are also available for viewing, or downloading free of charge, from the Commission’s website at www.lgbc-scotland.gov.uk. Interested parties are invited to make representations to the Commission during the 12-week period ending on 13 October 2005. Representations can be made by letter to The Secretary, The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, 3 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh, EH3 7QJ; by email to fife@lgbc-scotland.gov.uk or by fax to 0131 538 7511

Contact: Bob Smith: 0131 538 7513 News Release: Internet: www.lgbc-scotland.gov.uk

Notes to News Editors

1. Changes to the legislation and a Ministerial Direction required the Commission to undertake an initial round of consultations with Councils within 12 weeks of the review being announced and prior to developing its initial proposals for revised electoral arrangements. The Commission was then required to provide each Council with details of its initial proposals at least 2 months before these proposals were made available to any other interested party. The Council had a period of 2 months to make representations regarding the Commission’s initial proposals.

2. The first stage of the review, the initial consultation with Councils, started in September 2004 and was completed by mid-November 2004. During the second stage, the Commission considered options for the design of its initial proposals and contact with Councils was maintained through officials. The third stage of the review, the 2 month period for consideration of the Commission’s initial proposals by Councils, started in mid-March 2005.

3. The Commission is now beginning the wider statutory public consultation process for a number of Council areas having considered any representations made by these Councils during the 2 month consultation period. Provisional proposals for Aberdeen City, Highland and Scottish Borders Council areas are also published today.

4. The Commission is required to complete all stages of its review of electoral arrangements for all Council areas in Scotland by August 2006. Subject to the parliamentary process, it is intended that revised electoral arrangements will come into effect for local government elections in May 2007.

SCHEDULE 6 RULES TO BE OBSERVED IN CONSIDERING ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS

1. (1) This schedule applies to the consideration by Scottish Ministers or the Boundary Commission of electoral arrangements for election of councillors of local government areas.

(2) Having regard to any change in the number or distribution of electors of a local government area likely to take place within the period of five years immediately following the consideration, the number calculated by dividing the number of local government electors in each electoral ward of that local government area by the number of councillors to be returned in that ward shall be, as nearly as may be, the same.

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (2) above, in considering the electoral arrangements referred to in sub-paragraph (1) above regard shall be had to- (a) the desirability of fixing boundaries which are and will remain easily identifiable; (b) any local ties which would be broken by the fixing of any particular boundary but if, in any case, there is a conflict between those criteria, greater weight shall be given to the latter.

2. The strict application of the rule stated in paragraph 1(2) above may be departed from in any area where special geographical conditions appear to render a departure desirable.