South Norfolk

South Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, England. The largest town is Wymondham, and the district also includes the towns of Costessey, Diss, Harleston, Hingham, Loddon and Long Stratton. The council was based in Long Stratton until 2023 when it moved to the Broadland Business Park near Norwich, in the neighbouring Broadland district, as part of a shared facility with Broadland District Council. Some of the district's urban areas (including Costessey) form part of the Norwich built-up area. The district also includes numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Some eastern parts of the district lie within The Broads.

The neighbouring districts are Breckland, Broadland, Norwich, Great Yarmouth, East Suffolk and Mid Suffolk.

History
The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
 * Depwade Rural District
 * Diss Urban District
 * Forehoe and Henstead Rural District
 * Loddon Rural District
 * Wymondham Urban District

The new district was named South Norfolk, reflecting its position within the wider county.

The council appointed a shared managing director with neighbouring Broadland District Council in 2018. The two councils' staff were merged in 2020 and the councils moved to a new shared building in 2023.

Governance
South Norfolk 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.

In the parts of the district within The Broads, town planning is the responsibility of the Broads Authority. The district council appoints one of its councillors to sit on that authority.

Political control
The council has been under no overall control since a by-election in May 2024. Prior to that, the council had been under Conservative majority control since 2007. The Conservatives continue to run the council, but as a minority administration.

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 2003 have been:

Composition
Following the 2023 election and subsequent by-elections up to May 2024, the composition of the council was:

The next election is due in 2027.

Elections
Since the last full review of boundaries in 2019 the council has comprised 46 councillors representing 26 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 similar way to 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; South Norfolk's are typically in early Spring and bi-annually.

Premises
In 2023 the council moved to the Horizon Centre, a modern office building at the Broadland Business Park on the outskirts of Norwich (in the parish of Postwick with Witton). The council shares the building with Broadland District Council as part of their joint management and staff arrangement.

Prior to 2023 the council was based at South Norfolk House at Cygnet Court in Long Stratton, which had been purpose-built for the council and was formally opened on 26 September 1979.

Geography
At the time of the 2001 census, the district had an area of 909 km², with a population of 110,710 in 46,607 households.

Towns and parishes
The district made up of 119 civil parishes. The parish councils for Costessey, Diss, Hingham, Loddon, Long Stratton, Redenhall with Harleston, and Wymondham have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council".
 * Alburgh, Aldeby, Alpington, Ashby St. Mary, Ashwellthorpe and Fundenhall, Aslacton
 * Barford, Barnham Broom, Bawburgh, Bedingham, Bergh Apton, Bixley, Bracon Ash, Bramerton, Brandon Parva, Coston, Runhall and Welborne, Bressingham, Brockdish, Brooke, Broome, Bunwell, Burgh St. Peter, Burston and Shimpling
 * Caistor St. Edmund, Carleton Rode, Carleton St. Peter, Chedgrave, Claxton, Colney, Costessey, Cringleford
 * Denton, Deopham, Dickleburgh and Rushall, Diss, Ditchingham
 * Earsham, East Carleton, Easton, Ellingham
 * Flordon, Forncett (comprising Forncett St Mary and Forncett St Peter), Framingham Earl, Framingham Pigot
 * Geldeston, Gillingham, Gissing, Great Melton, Great Moulton
 * Haddiscoe, Hales, Heckingham, Hedenham, Hellington, Hempnall, Hethersett, Heywood, Hingham, Holverston, Howe
 * Keswick and Intwood, Ketteringham, Kimberley, Kirby Bedon, Kirby Cane, Kirstead
 * Langley with Hardley, Little Melton, Loddon, Long Stratton
 * Marlingford and Colton,
 * Morley, Morningthorpe and Fritton, Mulbarton, Mundham
 * Needham, Newton Flotman, Norton Subcourse
 * Poringland, Pulham Market, Pulham St. Mary
 * Raveningham, Redenhall with Harleston, Rockland St. Mary, Roydon
 * Saxlingham Nethergate, Scole, Seething, Shelfanger, Shelton and Hardwick, Shotesham, Sisland, Starston, Stockton, Stoke Holy Cross, Surlingham, Swainsthorpe, Swardeston
 * Tacolneston, Tasburgh, Tharston and Hapton, Thurlton, Thurton, Thwaite, Tibenham, Tivetshall St Margaret, Tivetshall St. Mary, Toft Monks, Topcroft, Trowse with Newton,
 * Wacton, Wheatacre, Wicklewood, Winfarthing, Woodton, Wortwell, Wramplingham, Wreningham, Wymondham
 * Yelverton

Merger
In October 2020, Private Eye reported a total of £594,000 was paid to two managers leaving South Norfolk council as a result of the merger of the management teams at South Norfolk and Broadland councils, which included £540,000 to outgoing chief executive Sandra Dinneen. (A further £357,000 in termination payments was to be shared between three managers leaving Broadland council due to the merger.) The councils stated these so-called "golden goodbyes" would save them money, as they would have fewer highly paid senior officials after they departed.

In early 2023, South Norfolk District Council and Broadland District Council moved into a joint headquarters in the Broadland Business Park near Norwich. As a result of this move, South Norfolk District Council's headquarters no longer sits within the district. However, proponents of the move defend the decision, stating that due to the population density of the district being heavily weighted towards the greater Norwich suburbs, the new headquarters is more accessible to the majority of the district's residents than the previous headquarters in Long Stratton.