Breckland District

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering six former districts which were all abolished at the same time:

• East Dereham Urban District
• Mitford and Launditch Rural District
• Swaffham Rural District
• Swaffham Urban District
• Thetford Municipal Borough
• Wayland Rural District

The new district was named Breckland after the distinctive landscape which covers parts of the area. The name was chosen following a competition organised by the outgoing authorities which invited local schools, organisations and individuals to put forward suggested names.

Governance

Conservative Conservative ;Administration (28) : Conservative (28) ;Other parties (21) : Labour (11) : : : Green (1)

Breckland District Council, which styles itself "Breckland Council", provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Norfolk County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

Political control

The council has been under Conservative majority control since 1999.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1998 have been:

Composition

Following the 2023 election, and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:

Three of the independent councillors and the Green councillor sit together as the 'Independent and Green Group'. The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 49 councillors representing 27 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

UK Youth Parliament

Although the UK Youth Parliament is an apolitical organisation, the elections are run in a way similar to that of the Local Elections. The votes come from 11 to 18 year olds and are combined to make the decision of the next, 2 year Member of Youth Parliament. The elections are run at different times across the country with Breckland's typically being in early Spring and bi-annually.

Premises

The council has its headquarters at Elizabeth House, a modern office building on the edge of Dereham; the council moved its main offices there in 2003. Prior to that it had been based at the Guildhall on St Withburga Lane in Dereham, which had previously been the offices of Mitford and Launditch Rural District Council, one of the council's predecessors.

The council also maintains an area office at Breckland House on St Nicholas Street in Thetford, which was completed in 1992 and formally opened on 20 May 1993 by Elizabeth II.

Towns and parishes

The district is entirely divided into 113 civil parishes. The parish councils for Attleborough, Dereham, Swaffham, Thetford and Watton have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council. The parishes are:

• Ashill, Attleborough
• Banham, Bawdeswell, Beachamwell, Beeston with Bittering, Beetley, Besthorpe, Billingford, Bintree, Blo' Norton, Bradenham, Brettenham, Bridgham, Brisley, Bylaugh
• Carbrooke, Caston, Cockley Cley, Colkirk, Cranwich, Cranworth, Croxton
• Didlington, Dereham
• East Tuddenham, Elsing
• Foulden, Foxley, Fransham
• Garboldisham, Garvestone, Gateley, Gooderstone, Great Cressingham, Great Dunham, Great Ellingham, Great Hockham, Gressenhall, Griston, Guist
• Hardingham, Harling, Hilborough, Hockering, Hoe, Holme Hale, Horningtoft
• Ickburgh
• Kempstone, Kenninghall, Kilverstone
• Lexham, Litcham, Little Cressingham, Little Dunham, Little Ellingham, Longham, Lynford, Lyng
• Mattishall, Merton, Mileham, Mundford
• Narborough, Narford, Necton, New Buckenham, Newton by Castle Acre, North Elmham, North Lopham, North Pickenham, North Tuddenham
• Old Buckenham, Ovington, Oxborough
• Quidenham
• Riddlesworth, Rocklands, Rockland St Peter, Roudham and Larling, Rougham
• Saham Toney, Scarning, Scoulton, Shipdham, Shropham, Snetterton, South Acre, South Lopham, South Pickenham, Sparham, Sporle with Palgrave, Stanfield, Stanford, Stow Bedon, Sturston, Swaffham, Swanton Morley,
• Thetford, Thompson, Tittleshall, Tottington, Twyford
• Watton, Weasenham All Saints, Weasenham St. Peter, Weeting-with-Broomhill, Wellingham, Wendling, Whinburgh and Westfield, Whissonsett, Wretham
• Yaxham

References

References

1. "Breckland Local Authority".
2. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
3. {{cite legislation UK. (1973)
4. (8 December 1972). "Breckland may be name of new council". Lynn Advertiser.
5. "Council minutes, 22 May 2025".
6. (14 October 2021). "Breckland Council confirms new chief executive". Lynn News.
7. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
8. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey.
9. "Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
10. (18 May 2018). "Norfolk County Council leader Cliff Jordan resigns following lung cancer diagnosis". Eastern Daily Press.
11. (20 August 2013). "Breckland Council leader William Nunn to resign". BBC News.
12. (12 September 2013). "Breckland Council's new leader and deputy vow to innovate". Eastern Daily Press.
13. (11 March 2016). "Breckland Council leader stands down for 'personal and private reaons'". Eastern Daily Press.
14. (1 April 2016). "Breckland Council has confirmed previous leader William Nunn has retaken the role". Diss Express.
15. (4 May 2019). "Breckland council leader stands down day after local elections". Eastern Daily Press.
16. "Council minutes, 16 May 2019".
17. "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
18. "Breckland". Thorncliffe.
19. {{cite legislation UK. (2014)
20. "Members of Youth Parliament - Norfolk County Council".
21. "Your Norfolk -".
22. Cope, Lauren. (30 March 2018). "Norfolk's four new Members of Youth Parliament are announced".
23. "Welcome to Breckland".
24. {{London Gazette. (25 July 1939)
25. (9 January 2008). "New twist to Guildhall saga". Dereham Times.
26. (21 May 1993). "A Royal Splash". Bury Free Press.
27. "Visit us".
28. "Town and parish councils".