Breckland is a

local government district The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, England. Its council is based in

Dereham Dereham (), also known as East Dereham, is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Breckland District of the England, English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A47 road, about 15 miles (25 km) west of the city ...

. The district had a population of 130,491 at the 2011 Census. The district derives its name from the Breckland landscape region, a

gorse ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are n ...

-covered

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...

of south Norfolk and north

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

. The term "Breckland" dates back to at least the 13th century. St Mary's church Attleborough - geograph

The district is predominantly rural, with five

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

s -

Thetford Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland District of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just east of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , in 2015 had a population of 24,340 ...

Attleborough Attleborough is a market town and civil parish located on the A11 between Norwich and Thetford in Norfolk, England. The parish is in the district of Breckland and has an area of . The 2001 Census recorded the town as having a population of 9 ...

Swaffham Swaffham () is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland District and English county of Norfolk. It is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich. The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,9 ...

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

East Dereham Urban District East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

, Swaffham Urban District, Wayland Rural District,

Mitford and Launditch Rural District Mitford and Launditch Rural District was a rural district in Norfolk, England from 1894 to 1974. It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 based on the Mitford and Launditch rural sanitary district, taking its name from the two ancient ...

, and Swaffham Rural District. The buttercross at Swaffham Market Place - geograph

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 The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

who won 37 of the 49 seats on the council at the last election. Leader of the Council The Leader since May 2019 is Sam Chapman-Allen (Conservative) (Forest Ward). The Deputy Leader since May 2019 is Paul Claussen (Conservative) (Mattishall Ward)

Chairman of the Council

The Chairman is Roy Brame (Thetford Castle Ward) The Vice-Chairman is Mike Nairn (Bedingfield . 8, 2005)

Past Chairmen of the Council

*2019-2021 Lynda Turner (Shipdham Ward) *2018-2019 Richard Duffield (Lincoln Ward) *2017-2018 Kate Millbank (Dereham Tofwood Ward) *2016-2017 Bill Borrett (Upper Wensum Ward) *2015-2016 Gordon Bambridge (Upper Wensum Ward) *2014-2015 Robert Kybird (Thetford Guildhall Ward) *2013-2014 Paul Claussen (Two Rivers Ward) *2012-2013 Robin Goreham (Dereham Central Ward) *2011-2012 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 The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, consisting of democratically elected members aged between 11 and 18. Formed in 2000, the parliament has 369 members, who are elected to represent the views of young ...

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 A Member of Youth Parliament (MYP), is an individual aged between 11 and 18 elected by young people to represent their local area on the UK Youth Parliament. There are currently around 600 MYPs (including deputies) across the United Kingdom. Hist ...

. 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.

Council parishes

The council is entirely parished, and is made up of 113

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

es. At the time of the 2001 census, the district had an area of , with a population of mpositionsmpositions121,418 in 50,715 households. The council contains the following civil parishes: * Ashill,

* Banham,

Bawdeswell Bawdeswell is a small rural village and civil parish in Norfolk, England. At the time of the 2011 census it had a population of 828 and an area of 487 hectares. The village is situated almost in the centre of Norfolk about northwest of Norw ...

, Beachamwell, *

Beeston with Bittering Beeston with Bittering is a civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and so ...

Beetley Beetley is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. According to the 2011 census the parish had a population of 1,396. The village is situated four miles (6 km) north of East Dereham. History Beetley w ...

, Besthorpe, Billingford,

Bintree Bintree is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England, about nine miles (14 km) south-east of Fakenham. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 300, increasing to 329 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local government ...

, Blo' Norton, Bradenham, Brettenham,

Bridgham Bridgham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 328 in 130 households at the 2001 census, increasing to a population of 335 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local gov ...

Brisley Brisley is a village in the English county of Norfolk located about halfway between Fakenham and East Dereham. It covers an area of and had a population of 276 in 117 households at the 2001 census The Village is located along the B1145 a ro ...

Bylaugh Bylaugh is a civil parish in Norfolk, England north-east of East Dereham and WNW of Norwich. For the purposes of local government it falls within the Upper Wensum Ward of Breckland District Council and the Elmham and Mattishall Division ...

Carbrooke Carbrooke is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is from the centre of Watton and from Thetford. In the 2011 Census, Carbrooke had a population of 2,073 people in 835 households. History Carbrooke's n ...

, Caston,

Cockley Cley Cockley Cley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village covers an area of and falls within the district of Breckland. History The village's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for a ...

Colkirk Colkirk is a village (population 2001-547) situated about two miles south of Fakenham in the county of Norfolk, England. Dating from at least the time of the Domesday Book. The village including Oxwick , Pattesley and South Raynham currently (20 ...

Cranwich Cranwich is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, about north west of Mundford. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Breckland. History Cranwich's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derive ...

Cranworth Cranworth is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of the English county of Norfolk. History Cranworth's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for an enclosed part of land with cranes and herons. In the ...

, Croxton *

Didlington Didlington is a village in the Breckland district of mid-Norfolk, East Anglia, England in the United Kingdom. It has an area of with a population of 48. At the 2011 Census the minimal population was included in the civil parish of Ickburgh. The ...

East Tuddenham East Tuddenham is a village in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located south-west of Dereham and north-west of Norwich and is bisected by the A47 between Birmingham and Lowestoft. History East Tuddenham's name is of Anglo-Saxon ...

Elsing Elsing is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located north-east of Dereham and north-west of Norwich, close to the River Wensum. History Elsing's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old E ...

* Foulden,

Foxley Foxley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is about 15 miles (24 km) north-west of Norwich and 9 miles (14 km) south-east of Fakenham. It covers an area of and had a population of 279 in 113 ho ...

Fransham Fransham is a civil parish in the Breckland District of the English county of Norfolk; it covers an area of , and includes the villages of Great and Little Fransham and the hamlet of Crane's End. Fransham has an estimated population of 430 as of ...

Garboldisham Garboldisham () is a village and civil parish, part of Guiltcross in the Breckland district, in Norfolk, England, near the boundary with Suffolk. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 721 which increased to 969 at the 2011 Census. ...

Garvestone Garvestone (or Garveston) is a village in the civil parish of Garvestone, Reymerston and Thuxton, located south-east of Dereham and north-west of Wymondham. The village is located on the upper reaches of the River Yare. History Garveston's nam ...

Gateley Gateley is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. Location The village is situated some north-east of the town of Swaffham, north of the town of Dereham and north-west of the city of Norwich. The parish ...

, Gooderstone,

Great Cressingham Great Cressingham is a Norfolk village which lies about of Watton, south of Swaffham and only off the A1065 arterial road just north of Hilborough. It is north west by road from Little Cressingham. In 2007 it had an estimated population of ...

Great Dunham Great Dunham is a village situated in the Breckland District of Norfolk and covers an area of 818 hectares (3.16 square miles) with an estimated population of 325, including Kempstone and increasing to a measured population of 344 at the 2011 Ce ...

Great Ellingham Great Ellingham is a village and civil parish in the Breckland (district), Breckland District of Norfolk. The village lies 2.5 miles north-west of Attleborough, 2 miles south-east of its sister village of Little Ellingham and 12 miles by road sou ...

Great Hockham Great Hockham is a village in the English county of Norfolk within the civil parish of Hockham, though the distinction between village and parish may now be moot as there is evidence to suggest that the other village in the parish, Little Hockha ...

Gressenhall Gressenhall is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The villages name origin is uncertain possibly 'Grassy nook of land' or 'gravelly nook of land'. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,008 in 443 households ...

Griston Griston is a village and civil parish in the Wayland, Norfolk, Wayland area of the Breckland (district), Breckland district within the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,206 in 206 households at the Unite ...

Guist Guist () is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 242 in 102 households at the 2001 census, including Twyford and increasing slightly to a population of 250 in 110 households ...

Hardingham Hardingham is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of 4 square miles (9.78 km) with a population of 274 in 110 households at the 2001 census, decreasing to a population of 267 in 107 households at the 2011 Census. ...

, Harling,

Hilborough Hilborough is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is south of Swaffham, west-southwest of Norwich and north-northeast of London. The population of the parish (including Bodney) at the 2011 Census was 243. ...

Hockering Hockering is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England. At the 2001 census the parish had a population of 628. By 2007, the district estimated that this had risen to 665. Geography The parish has an area of Hoe, Holme Hale,

Horningtoft Horningtoft is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 135 in 54 households at the 2001 census,Ickburgh Ickburgh is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A1065 Mildenhall to Fakenham road, some north of Brandon and south of Swaffham. The village is from the city of Norwich and from London.Distances ...

* Kempstone,

Kenninghall Kenninghall is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England, with an area of and a population of 950 at the 2011 census. It falls within the local government district of Breckland. Home to the kings of East Anglia, after the Norman invasion ...

, Kilverstone *

Lexham Lexham is a parish consisting of the twin villages of East Lexham and West Lexham situated in the Breckland District of Norfolk and covers an area of with a population of 157 at the 2001 census. The Lexham villages are just over a mile apart ...

Litcham Litcham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some north-east of the town of Swaffham and west of the city of Norwich. The village is located on the B1145 a route which runs between King's Lynn and Mu ...

Little Cressingham Little Cressingham lies south east by road from Great Cressingham, west of Watton and south of Swaffham in the Breckland District of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 157 in 70 households at the 2001 census It is in the ...

, Little Dunham, Little Ellingham, Longham,

Lynford Lynford is a village and civil parish in the Breckland District of Norfolk. The parish covers an area of , and the 2001 Census recorded a population of 157 in 81 households. Lynford lies north east of Brandon and between Mundford, to the nort ...

, Lyng *

Mattishall Mattishall is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated west of Norwich and east of Dereham, at the geographical centre of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 2,631 in 1,110 households at ...

, Merton, Mileham,

Mundford Mundford is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated at the intersection of two major routes, the A134 Colchester to King's Lynn road and the A1065 Mildenhall to Fakenham road, about north west of Thetford. ...

* Narborough,

Narford Narford is situated in the Breckland (district), Breckland District of Norfolk and covers an area of 970 hectares (3.75 square miles). Narford village has all but List of lost settlements in the United Kingdom, disappeared, with a population of o ...

Necton Necton is a village situated on a turning off the A47 main road between Swaffham and East Dereham in the Breckland district of mid-Norfolk. As at the 2001 census it had a population of 1,865 residents and an area of , increasing to a population ...

New Buckenham New Buckenham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The parish covers an area of and had a population of 468 in 197 households at the 2001 census, falling marginally to a population of 460 in 209 households at the 201 ...

, Newton by Castle Acre,

North Elmham North Elmham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,428 in 624 households at the 2001 census, including Gateley and increasing slightly to 1,433 at the 2011 Census. For ...

North Lopham North Lopham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 623 in 255 households at the 2011 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Brecklan ...

North Pickenham North Pickenham is a village in the Breckland district of mid-Norfolk, East Anglia, England. It lies three miles from the Georgian market town of Swaffham. At the 2001 census it had a population of 500 and an area of 1,015 hectares (3.92 squa ...

North Tuddenham North Tuddenham is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, North Tuddenham is east of East Dereham, and is close to the A47 road. The parish church is dedicated to St Mary. The villages name means 'Tuda's homestead/village'. It co ...

Old Buckenham Old Buckenham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, approximately south-west of Norwich. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,294 in 658 households at the 2001 census falling to a population of 1,270 livin ...

, Ovington, Oxborough * Quidenham *

Riddlesworth Riddlesworth is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 147 in 48 households at the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Breckland. St Pete ...

, Rocklands,

Rockland St Peter Rockland St Peter is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Rocklands, in the Breckland district, in the county of Norfolk, England. Its church is one of 124 existing round-tower churches in Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremo ...

Roudham and Larling Roudham and Larling is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It includes the villages of Roudham and Larling. It covers an area of and had a population of 278 in 119 households at the 2001 census, increasing to a population of 30 ...

, Rougham *

Saham Toney Saham Toney is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is North of Thetford, west of Norwich and north-east of London. The village lies west of the town of Attleborough. The nearest railway station is at At ...

Scarning Scarning is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 2,932 in 1,092 households at the 2001 census, which eased at the 2011 Census to 2,906 in the same number of households. For l ...

, Scoulton,

Shipdham Shipdham is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district, in Norfolk, England, approximately south-south-west of Dereham. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 2,145 in 899 households, falling at the 2011 Census to a popul ...

, Shropham,

Snetterton Snetterton is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England. The village is about east-northeast of Thetford and southwest of Norwich. The civil parish has an area of . The United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census recorded a parish population o ...

South Acre South Acre is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village has almost disappeared, but the remnants are located about south-west of Castle Acre, north of the town of Swaffham, east of the town of King's Lynn and ...

South Lopham South Lopham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 371 in 157 households at the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Brecklan ...

South Pickenham South Pickenham is a small village and civil parish in the Breckland district of mid Norfolk, East Anglia, England. It has an area of 758 hectares (2.93 square miles) and it had a population of 101 in 40 households at the 2001 census. This had d ...

Sparham Sparham is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It covers an area of and had a population of 291 in 109 households at the 2001 census,Sporle with Palgrave Sporle with Palgrave is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,038 in 442 households at the 2001 census, including East Lexham but the population reducing to 1,011 in 453 households at the ...

, Stanfield,

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

, Stow Bedon, Sturston,

Swanton Morley Swanton Morley is a village and civil parish situated in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated in the heart of Norfolk 18 miles from the centre of Norwich and three miles from Dereham, at the geographical centre of Norfolk. It covers an ...

, *

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia *Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province Canada * ...

Tittleshall Tittleshall is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.Ordnance Survey (1999). ''OS Explorer Map 238 - East Dereham & Aylsham''. . Location The village and parish of Tittleshall has an area of 1376 hectares or . The parish is ...

, Tottington, Twyford * Watton, Weasenham All Saints, Weasenham St. Peter,

Weeting-with-Broomhill Weeting-with-Broomhill is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,751 in 786 households at the 2001 census, the population increasing to 1,839 in 814 households at the 2011 Census. The ...

, Wellingham, Wendling, Whinburgh and Westfield, Whissonsett,

Wretham Wretham is a civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. The parish includes the village of East Wretham, which is about northeast of Thetford and southwest of Norwich. It also includes the villages of Illington and Stonebri ...

Yaxham Yaxham is a village and civil parish in centre of the English county of Norfolk. The parish includes the village of Yaxham, together with the neighbouring community of Clint Green. Together, they lay some south of Dereham and west of Norwich. ...

References

External links

Diss Express
- website of local newspaper covering part of district {{coord, 52, 38, N, 0, 59, E, region:GB_type:adm3rd, display=title Non-metropolitan districts of Norfolk