Breckland District

Breckland is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Dereham. The district had a population of 130,491 at the 2011 Census.[1]

Breckland District
Non-metropolitan district
Breckland shown within Norfolk
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast of England
Non-metropolitan countyNorfolk
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQDereham
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyBreckland District Council
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet (Conservative)
 • MPsGeorge Freeman
Elizabeth Truss
Area
 • Total399.7 sq mi (1,035.1 km2)
Area rank17th (of 317)
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
 • Total139,968
 • Rank158th (of 317)
 • Density350/sq mi (140/km2)
 • Ethnicity
98.5% White
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code33UB (ONS)
E07000143 (GSS)
OS grid referenceTG018081
Websitewww.breckland.gov.uk

The district derives its name from the Breckland landscape region, a gorse-covered sandy heath of south Norfolk and north Suffolk. The term "Breckland" dates back to at least the 13th century.

The district is predominately rural, with five market towns - Dereham, Thetford, Attleborough, Swaffham and Watton - and over 100 villages (full list below).

History

Breckland District was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the municipal borough of Thetford, East Dereham Urban District, Swaffham Urban District, Wayland Rural District, Mitford and Launditch Rural District, and Swaffham Rural District.

Politics

The Council consists of 49 Councillors elected every four years, the last election being May 2019.

It is currently controlled by the Conservative Party who won 37 of the 49 seats on the council at the last election.

Leader of the Council

The Leader since May 2019 is Cllr. Sam Chapman-Allen (Conservative) (Forest Ward).

The Deputy Leader since May 2019 is Cllr. Paul Claussen (Conservative) (Mattishall Ward)

Chairman of the Council

The Chairman is Cllr. Lynda Turner (Shipdham Ward)

The Vice-Chairman is Cllr. Roy Brame (Thetford Castle Ward)

Past Chairmen of the Council
  • 2018-2019 Cllr. Richard Duffield (Lincoln Ward)
  • 2017-2018 Cllr. Kate Millbank (Dereham Tofwood Ward)
  • 2016-2017 Cllr. Bill Borrett (Upper Wensum Ward)
  • 2015-2016 Cllr. Gordon Bambridge (Upper Wensum Ward)
  • 2014-2015 Cllr. Robert Kybird (Thetford Guildhall Ward)
  • 2013-2014 Cllr. Paul Claussen (Two Rivers Ward)
  • 2012-2013 Cllr. Robin Goreham (Dereham Central Ward)
  • 2011-2012 Cllr. Nigel Wilkin (Necton Ward)

Election Results

For the results of the last election to the council click on this link, Breckland District Council election 2019.

For further information on previous elections click on link, Breckland District Council - Elections

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 11-18 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.

The current Member of Youth Parliament for Breckland is Jake Dorman MYP.[2][3][4]

Composition

The council is entirely parished, and is made up of 113 civil parishes. At the time of the 2001 census, the district had an area of 1,305 km2 (504 sq mi), with a population of 121,418 in 50,715 households.[5]

The council contains the following civil parishes:

References
  1. "Local Authority District population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  2. "Members of Youth Parliament - Norfolk County Council". www.norfolk.gov.uk.
  3. "Your Norfolk -". yournorfolk.norfolkpublications.org.uk.
  4. Cope, Lauren. "Norfolk's four new Members of Youth Parliament are announced". Eastern Daily Press.
  5. Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved 2 December 2005.
  • Diss Express - website of local newspaper covering part of district

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.