King's Lynn and West Norfolk is a

local government district Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

with borough status in

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

, England. Its council is based in the town of

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...

. The district also includes the towns of

Downham Market Downham Market, sometimes simply referred to as Downham, is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, approximately 11 miles south of King's Lynn, 39 ...

and

Hunstanton Hunstanton (sometimes pronounced ) is a seaside resort, seaside town in Norfolk, England, which had a population of 4,229 at the 2011 Census. It faces west across The Wash. Hunstanton lies 102 miles (164 km) north-north-east of London an ...

, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. The population of the district at the 2021 census was 154,325. Part of the borough lies within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The borough lies on the coast, facing both

The Wash The Wash is a shallow natural rectangular bay and multiple estuary on the east coast of England in the United Kingdom. It is an inlet of the North Sea and is the largest multiple estuary system in the UK, as well as being the largest natural ba ...

to the west and the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

to the north. The neighbouring districts are

North Norfolk North Norfolk is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Cromer, and the largest town is North Walsham. The district also includes the towns of Fakenham, Holt, Norfolk, Holt, Shering ...

Breckland Breckland in Norfolk and Suffolk is a 39,433 hectare Special Protection Area (SPA) under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. The SPA partly overlaps the 7,544 hectare Breckland Special Area of Conservation. As a la ...

, West Suffolk, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland and

South Holland South Holland ( ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.8 million as of January 2023 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely populated areas. ...

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

, covering seven former districts which were all abolished at the same time: * Docking Rural District *

Urban District * Downham Rural District * Freebridge Lynn Rural District *

Urban District *

Municipal Borough A municipal borough was a type of local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...

* Marshland Rural District The new district was initially named "West Norfolk" reflecting its position in the wider county. The district was awarded borough status on 30 January 1981, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. The name of the borough was changed later that year, becoming "King's Lynn and West Norfolk" with effect from 14 May 1981.

Governance

The Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by

Norfolk County Council Norfolk County Council is the upper-tier Local government in England, local authority for Norfolk, England. Below it there are seven second-tier district councils: Breckland District, Breckland, Broadland, Borough of Great Yarmouth, Great Yarmo ...

. Much of the borough is also covered by

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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

es, which form a third tier of local government.

Political control

The council has been under

no overall control In the context of local authorities in the United Kingdom no overall control (NOC; ) is a situation in which no single political group achieves a majority of seats, comparable to a hung parliament. Of the 248 councils who had members up for elec ...

since the 2023 election, being run by a coalition of most of the independent councillors, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens with informal support from Labour. 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: (Put "King's Lynn & West Norfolk" in search box to see specific results.)

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, with political leadership instead provided by the

leader of the council Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

. The leaders since 2007 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: Of the 22 independent councillors, 16 sit together as the 'Independent Partnership', which forms the council's administration with the Liberal Democrats and Green Party. Another two form the 'Progressive Group', and the other four do not belong to a group. The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 55

councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...

s representing 35 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. ;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 395 members, who are elected to represent the views of you ...

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 In the United Kingdom, 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. Elections There are 350 members of youth parliament, elected on ...

. The elections are run at different times across the country with King's Lynn and West Norfolk's typically being in early Spring and bi-annually.

Premises

The council generally meets at the

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

on the Saturday Market Place in King's Lynn, parts of which date back to the 1420s, having replaced an earlier guildhall on the site which burnt down in 1421. The council's main offices are at King's Court, on Chapel Street in King's Lynn, which had been built as speculative offices in 1975, initially being called Aspen House. The council bought the building in 1981.

Geography

The district comprises the urban area of King's Lynn itself, together with 102 surrounding parishes. At the time of the 2001 census, the district had an area of 1,473 km², of which 28 km² was in the urban area and 1,445 km² in the surrounding parishes. The district had a population of 135,345 in 58,338 households, with 34,564 in 15,285 households living in the urban area, whilst 100,781 people in 43,053 households lived in the surrounding parishes.

Towns and parishes

The main part of the urban area of King's Lynn (roughly corresponding to the pre-1974 borough of King's Lynn) is an

unparished area In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish (the lowest level of local government, not to be confused with an ecclesiastical parish). Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparis ...

. The remainder of the district is covered by

es. The parish councils for Downham Market and Hunstanton have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". The parishes are: * Anmer * Bagthorpe with Barmer * Barton Bendish * Barwick * Bawsey * Bircham * Boughton * Brancaster *

Burnham Market Burnham Market is a village and civil parish in the England, English county Norfolk. The village is located north-east of King's Lynn and north-west of Norwich. It is one of The Norfolk Burnhams, the Burnhams, a group of three adjacent vill ...

* Burnham Norton * Burnham Overy * Burnham Thorpe * Castle Acre *

Castle Rising Castle Rising is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. Castle Rising is located along the course of the River Babingley, separating the village from the lost village of Babingley. The village is located north-east ...

* Choseley * Clenchwarton * Congham * Crimplesham *

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

* Dersingham * Docking *

Downham West Downham West is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk The parish is west of Norwich, south-south-west of King's Lynn and north of London. The nearest town is Downham Market which is north east of the parish. The nearest railway st ...

* East Rudham *

East Walton East Walton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. East Walton is located south-east of King's Lynn and north-west of Norwich. History East Walton's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English f ...

* East Winch * Emneth * Feltwell * Fincham * Flitcham with Appleton * Fordham * Fring * Gayton * Great Massingham * Grimston * Harpley * Heacham * Hilgay * Hillington *

Hockwold cum Wilton Hockwold cum Wilton is a civil parish and village in the England, English county of Norfolk. Hockwold is located west of Thetford and south-west of Norwich. History Hockwold cum Wilton's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Ol ...

* Holme next the Sea * Houghton *

* Ingoldisthorpe * Leziate * Little Massingham * Marham * Marshland St. James *

Methwold Methwold ("Middle forest") is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, on the edge of the Norfolk The Fens, Fens and Breckland. With an area of it is the second largest parish in Norfolk. It had a population of 1,502 in 59 ...

* Middleton * Nordelph * North Creake * North Runcton * Northwold * North Wootton * Old Hunstanton * Outwell * Pentney * Ringstead * Roydon * Runcton Holme * Ryston * Sandringham * Sedgeford * Shernborne *

Shouldham Shouldham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 608 in 246 households at the 2001 census, the population reducing slightly to 605 at the 2011 census. It also contains a ch ...

* Shouldham Thorpe * Snettisham * South Creake * Southery * South Wootton * Stanhoe * Stoke Ferry * Stow Bardolph * Stradsett * Syderstone * Terrington St. Clement * Terrington St. John * Thornham *

Tilney All Saints Tilney All Saints is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 563 in 230 households at the 2001 census, increasing to 573 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local government, it falls w ...

* Tilney St. Lawrence * Titchwell * Tottenhill * Upwell * Walpole * Walpole Cross Keys * Walpole Highway *

Walsoken Walsoken is a settlement and civil parish in Norfolk, England, which is conjoined as a suburb at the northeast of the town of Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire. The parish of Walsoken in the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 census, had a popu ...

* Watlington * Welney * Wereham * West Acre * West Dereham * West Rudham * West Walton * West Winch * Wiggenhall St. Germans * Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen * Wimbotsham *

Wormegay Wormegay is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some south of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.Ordnance Survey (1999). ''OS Explorer Map 236 - King's Lynn, Downham Market & Swaffham''. . It covers an area ...

* Wretton

Arms

References

External links

Official WebsiteWest Norfolk Information
{{Coord, 52.7549, 0.3962, display=title} Non-metropolitan districts of Norfolk Boroughs in England