Breckland District

Breckland is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Dereham, although the largest town is Thetford. The district also includes the towns of Attleborough, Swaffham and Watton, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

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 neighbouring districts are King's Lynn and West Norfolk, North Norfolk, Broadland, South Norfolk, Mid Suffolk and West Suffolk.

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:

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.

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.

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: