King's Lynn and West Norfolk

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering seven former districts which were all abolished at the same time:{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan District (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=17 November 2023}}

• Docking Rural District
• Downham Market Urban District
• Downham Rural District
• Freebridge Lynn Rural District
• Hunstanton Urban District
• King's Lynn Municipal Borough
• Marshland Rural District

The new district was initially named "West Norfolk" reflecting its position in the wider county.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973|year=1973|number=551|access-date=31 May 2023}} 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.{{cite book |title=Alteration of Areas and Status of Local Authorities 1980–1982 |date=1982 |publisher=Department of the Environment |location=London |pages=9–10 |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20221201180331mp_/https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/11373/bulletin80-82.pdf |access-date=8 December 2023}}

{{Infobox legislature

| name = Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk

| native_name =

| transcription_name =

| legislature =

| coa_pic =

| coa_res =

| logo_pic = Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk logo.svg

| logo_res = 220px

| house_type = Non-metropolitan district

| body =

| houses =

| leader1_type = Mayor

| leader1 = Paul Bland

| party1 =
Independent

| election1 = 16 May 2024{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Lucy |title=Cllr Paul Bland selected as mayor of King's Lynn and West Norfolk - with Cllr Andy Bullen being appointed as his deputy |url=https://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/true-linnet-selected-as-new-borough-mayor-9366542/ |access-date=14 July 2024 |work=Lynn News |date=17 May 2024}}

| leader2_type = Leader

| leader2 = Alistair Beales

| party2 =
Independent

| election2 = 16 May 2024

| leader3_type = Chief Executive

| leader3 = Lorraine Gore

| party3 =

| election3 = 1 September 2019{{cite web |title=New Chief Executive announced |url=https://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/news/article/674/new_chief_executive_announced |website=Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk |access-date=8 December 2023 |date=30 July 2019}}

| members = 55 councillors

| structure1 =

| structure1_res = 200px

| political_groups1 =

;Administration (21)

:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} Independent (16)}}

:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Liberal Democrats (3)}}

:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}|border=darkgray}} Green (2)}}

;Other parties (34)

:{{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Conservative (21)

:{{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Labour (10)

:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} Independent (3)}}

| last_election1 = 4 May 2023

| next_election2 = 6 May 2027

| session_room = Kings Lynn Guild Hall (geograph 4626827).jpg

| session_res =

| meeting_place = Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King's Lynn, PE30{{nbsp}}5DQ

| website = {{URL|www.west-norfolk.gov.uk}}

| footnotes =

}}

The Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Norfolk County Council. Much of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|access-date=31 May 2023}}{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=21 September 2023}}

The council has been under no overall control 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.{{cite news |last1=Johnston |first1=Kris |title=Independent councillor Terry Parish named new leader of West Norfolk Council at 2023 annual meeting |url=https://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/new-era-ushered-in-as-independents-take-control-of-council-9313424/ |access-date=6 December 2023 |work=Lynn News |date=19 May 2023}}

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:{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre | date=4 March 2016 |access-date=1 June 2023}}{{cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2007/councils/html/33ue.stm | title = King's Lynn & West Norfolk | accessdate = 2009-09-26 | work = BBC News Online}}

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. The leaders since 2007 have been:{{cite web |title=Council minutes |url=https://democracy.west-norfolk.gov.uk/ieDocHome.aspx?bcr=1 |website=King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council |access-date=24 June 2022}}

Following the 2023 election and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2024, the composition of the council was:{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2023/may/04/elections-2023-results-live-local-council-england#le-full-results|title=Local elections 2023: live council results for England|work=The Guardian}}{{cite web |title=King's Lynn and West Norfolk |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=kings_lynn_and_w_norfolk |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=14 July 2024}}

Of the 19 independent councillors, 16 sit together as the 'Independent Partnership', which forms the council's administration with the Liberal Democrats and Greens. Another two form the 'Progressive Group', and the other does not belong to a group.{{cite web |title=Your councillors by party |url=https://democracy.west-norfolk.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |website=Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk |access-date=8 December 2023}} The next election is due in 2027.

{{also|King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council elections}}

Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 55 councillors representing 35 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The King's Lynn and West Norfolk (Electoral Changes) Order 2018|year=2018|number=857|access-date=8 December 2023}}

;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 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 with King's Lynn and West Norfolk's typically being in early Spring and bi-annually.

The council generally meets at the Town Hall 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.{{NHLE |num=1211953|desc=Guildhall, King's Lynn|accessdate=25 August 2019}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t4vFdxYlRBgC&pg=PA79|title=The Book of Margery Kempe| first=Liz Herbert|last=McAvoy|page=79|publisher=D.S.Brewer|year=2003|isbn=978-0859917919}} 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.{{cite news |title=Topping-out for Lynn office block |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=9 December 2023 |work=Lynn News and Advertiser |date=11 February 1975 |page=11}} The council bought the building in 1981.{{cite news |title=Council moves to £¾m new hq |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=8 December 2023 |work=Lynn News and Advertiser |date=21 August 1981 |page=1}}

File:The seafront at Hunstanton - geograph.org.uk - 2793449.jpg, one of the coastal towns on the Norfolk Coast.]]

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.Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). [http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/consumption/groups/public/documents/general_resources/ncc017867.xls Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211032229/http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/consumption/groups/public/documents/general_resources/ncc017867.xls |date=2017-02-11 }}. Retrieved December 2, 2005.

{{also|List of civil parishes in Norfolk}}

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. The remainder of the district is covered by civil parishes. 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:{{cite web |title=Parish council contact details |url=https://democracy.west-norfolk.gov.uk/mgParishCouncilDetails.aspx?bcr=1 |website=Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk |access-date=8 December 2023}}

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

• Anmer
• Bagthorpe with Barmer
• Barton Bendish
• Barwick
• Bawsey
• Bircham
• Boughton
• Brancaster
• Burnham Market
• Burnham Norton
• Burnham Overy
• Burnham Thorpe
• Castle Acre
• Castle Rising
• Choseley
• Clenchwarton
• Congham
• Crimplesham
• Denver
• Dersingham
• Docking
• Downham Market
• Downham West
• East Rudham
• East Walton
• East Winch
• Emneth
• Feltwell
• Fincham
• Flitcham with Appleton
• Fordham
• Fring
• Gayton
• Great Massingham
• Grimston
• Harpley
• Heacham
• Hilgay
• Hillington
• Hockwold cum Wilton
• Holme next the Sea
• Houghton
• Hunstanton
• Ingoldisthorpe
• Leziate
• Little Massingham
• Marham
• Marshland St. James
• Methwold
• Middleton
• Nordelph
• North Creake
• North Runcton
• Northwold
• North Wootton
• Old Hunstanton
• Outwell
• Pentney
• Ringstead
• Roydon
• Runcton Holme
• Ryston
• Sandringham
• Sedgeford
• Shernborne
• Shouldham
• 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 St. Lawrence
• Titchwell
• Tottenhill
• Upwell
• Walpole
• Walpole Cross Keys
• Walpole Highway
• Walsoken
• Watlington
• Welney
• Wereham
• West Acre
• West Dereham
• West Rudham
• West Walton
• West Winch
• Wiggenhall St. Germans
• Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen
• Wimbotsham
• Wormegay
• Wretton

{{div col end}}

{{Infobox COA wide

|title = King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council

|escutcheon = Per chevron Azure and Or three dragons' heads erect and erased each transfixed through the mouth by a cross botonny fitchy all within a bordure per chevron counter-changed.

|crest = Upon a wreath Or and Azure upon a bollard Sable roped Or a seagull Proper gorged with a coronet and holding in the dexter claw a cross botonny fitchy Or.

|supporters = On either side a sea lion Or supporting with the exterior leg an ostrich feather Argent.{{cite web|url=http://civicheraldry.co.uk/east_of_england.html |title=East of England Region |publisher=Civic Heraldry of England |accessdate=9 March 2021}}

|badge = A sea lion Or within a garland of oakleaves fructed Proper.}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk Official Website]
• [http://www.westnorfolk.info West Norfolk Information]

{{Norfolk}}

{{East_of_England}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|52.7549|0.3962|display=title|}}

Category:Non-metropolitan districts of Norfolk

Category:Boroughs in England