Dalry and West Kilbride (ward) explained

Dalry and West Kilbride
Year:2007
Council:North Ayrshire
Region:Scotland
Map1:Dalry and West Kilbride.svg
Map Entity:North Ayrshire
Map Year:2017–2022
Abolished:2022
Previous:Ardrossan North
Dalry
Garnock East
Kilbirnie South
Kilwinning West
Largs South and Fairlie
West Kilbride
Next:Ardrossan
Garnock Valley
North Coast
Electorate:10,476 (2021)
Elects Howmany:3
Towns:Dalry
West Kilbride
Scot Parl:Cunninghame North
Scot Region:West Scotland
Westminster:North Ayrshire and Arran

Dalry and West Kilbride 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. As a result of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the ward was abolished in 2022.

The ward latterly produced strong results for the Conservatives but was previously split between the Scottish National Party (SNP), Conservatives and independents.

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 Dalry and West Kilbride was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards. It contained the southern part of the former Largs South and Fairlie ward, the majority of the former Ardrossan North, Garnock East and Kilbirnie South wards as well as all of the former Dalry and West Kilbride wards and the northern half of the former Kilwinning West ward. Dalry and West Kilbride rans across the council area from the Firth of Clyde to the easternmost part of the council area between its borders with East Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire and centred around the towns of Dalry and West Kilbride.[1] Following the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections, the ward was increased in area as the northern boundary was moved to run along the A737 up to the council's border with Renfrewshire, taking in an area that was previously part of the Kilbirnie and Beith 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. The review coincided with the introduction of the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 which allowed for the creation of five-member wards. This proposed that three wards – Dalry and West Kilbride, Kilbirnie and Beith and North Coast and Cumbraes – be replaced by two new wards named Garnock Valley and North Coast. The proposals for North Ayrshire were subsequently approved by the Scottish Parliament and the ward was abolished in 2022.[3] [4]

Councillors

YearCouncillors
2007Elizabeth McLardy
(Ind.)
John Reid
(Labour)
Robert Barr
(Conservative
/Ind.)
2010
2012Catherine McMillan
(SNP)
2017Todd Ferguson
(Conservative)
Joy Brahim
(SNP)
2021
by-election
Ronnie Stalker
(Conservative)

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.