Ardrossan and Arran (ward) explained

Ardrossan and Arran
Year:2007
Council:North Ayrshire
Region:Scotland
Map1:Ardrossan and Arran.svg
Map Entity:North Ayrshire
Map Year:2017–2022
Abolished:2022
Previous:Ardrossan North
Ardrossan South
Arran
Saltcoats North
South Beach
Next:Ardrossan
Arran
Electorate:9,622 (2017)
Elects Howmany:3
Towns:Ardrossan
Brodick
Scot Parl:Cunninghame North
Scot Region:West Scotland
Westminster:North Ayrshire and Arran

Ardrossan and Arran was one of the 10 wards used to elect members of North Ayrshire Council. Created in 2007 following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements, the ward elected three councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system. Originally a four-member ward, Ardrossan and Arran was reduced in size following a boundary review ahead of the 2017 election. As a result of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the ward was abolished in 2022.

The ward was a Scottish National Party (SNP) stronghold with the party holding at least half the seats between 2012 and 2021.

Boundaries

The ward was created following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2007 Scottish local elections. As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system from 2007 onwards so Ardrossan was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards. It contained part of the former Ardrossan North, Saltcoats North and South Beach wards as well as all of the former Ardrossan South and Arran wards. The ward centred around the town of Ardrossan and the Isle of Arran and included a number of smaller islands in the Firth of Clyde including the Holy Isle and the uninhabited Pladda and Horse Isle.[1] Following the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections, the ward was reduced in size from a four-member ward to a three-member ward as an area in the northeast of Ardrossan was transferred to the newly created Saltcoats ward.[2]

In 2018, the Scottish Parliament passed the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 which included provisions to improve the representation of island communities on councils. As a result, an intermediate review of the boundaries in North Ayrshire was carried out. This proposed that Ardrossan and Arran be split in two with a single-member Arran ward re-established and a slightly enlarged three-member Ardrossan ward created. The proposals for North Ayrshire were subsequently approved by the Scottish Parliament and the ward was abolished in 2022.[3] [4]

Councillors

YearCouncillors
2007Tony Gurney
(SNP)
Peter McNamara
(Labour)
Margie Currie
(Ind.)
John Hunter
(Ind.)
2012John Bruce
(SNP)
2017Timothy Billings
(Conservative)
Ellen McMaster
(SNP/
Alba/
Ind.)
colspan=2; rowspan=3
2021
2022

Election results

2017 election

See main article: 2017 North Ayrshire Council election.

2012 election

See main article: 2012 North Ayrshire Council election.

2007 election

See main article: 2007 North Ayrshire Council election.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; North Ayrshire Council Area . Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland . May 2006 . 18 May 2023.
  2. Web site: Fifth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; North Ayrshire Council Area . Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland . May 2016 . 18 May 2023.
  3. Web site: Review of Electoral Arrangements; North Ayrshire Council Area . Boundaries Scotland . June 2021 . 18 May 2023.
  4. Web site: North Ayrshire: Changes on the way as voters get set to go to polls . Irvine Times . Andy . Hamilton . 5 March 2022 . 2 May 2022.