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22-453: 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

44-574: A modern office building on the edge of Dereham; the council moved its main offices there in 2003. Prior to that it had been based at the Guildhall on St Withburga Lane in Dereham, which had previously been the offices of Mitford and Launditch Rural District Council, one of the council's predecessors. The council also maintains an area office at Breckland House on St Nicholas Street in Thetford, which

66-548: A tourist attraction as well as an area of scientific and geographical interest. The Breckland landscape region has given its name to Breckland District , a local government district that contains most of Norfolk's portion of the Breckland. Part of West Suffolk district cover the Suffolk portion. The Great Eastern Pingo Trail is 8 miles of tracks and paths exploring the eastern edge of the Breckland area. The trail takes in

88-538: 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 landscape region it is an unusual natural habitat of England . It comprises the gorse -covered sandy heath that lies mostly in the south of the county of Norfolk but also in

110-424: 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: The leaders of

132-575: Is one of the few areas in England where the rare and shy (but non-indigenous) golden pheasant may be seen in the wild. 52°30′N 0°46′E  /  52.500°N 0.767°E  / 52.500; 0.767 Special Area of Conservation A special area of conservation ( SAC ) is defined in the European Union 's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the Directive on

154-498: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee . The value of the proposed site is considered in relation to the whole national resource of each habitat type and of each species. Firstly, assessment of the relative importance of sites containing examples of the individual habitat types. Four criteria are used: Secondly, species assessment evaluates population size and density, the degree of conservation of

176-644: 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

198-570: 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 Breckland's typically being in early Spring and bi-annually. The council has its headquarters at Elizabeth House,

220-450: The commons at the villages of Thompson and Stow Bedon , and heathland at Breckles and Great Hockham . Thompson Water , an artificial lake, and the woodland at Thompson Carr also form part of the walk. The name of the trail comes from the former Great Eastern Railway and the large number of pingo ponds found in the area. Pingo ponds or kettle lakes are formed from collapsed mound of earth-covered ice, called pingos , formed when

242-745: The Brecklands. This is one of the most important areas for wildlife in the UK, including birds such as the nightjars , woodlarks , and the 65% of the UK's stone curlew population. Sadly, 25 species previously recorded in breckland are now considered to be nationally extinct; ranging from flowers and mosses to beetles and moths. The Brecklands are home to over 120 nationally rare and threatened plant species, many of which grow nowhere else in Britain. With all this diversity, Breckland has received international recognition as an Important Plant Area (IPA). Many of

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264-417: The Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora . They are to protect the 220 habitats and approximately 1,000 species listed in annex I and II of the directive which are considered to be of European interest following criteria given in the directive. They must be chosen from the sites of Community importance by the member states and designated SAC by an act assuring the conservation measures of

286-621: The Spanish Catchfly, Spring Speedwell, Tower Mustard , Rare Spring-sedge, Red-tipped Cudweed, Field Wormwood , Prostrate Perennial Knawel, Fingered Speedwell , Military Orchid , Proliferous Pink, Bee Orchid Fine-leaved Sandwort , and Grape Hyacinth . 86% of Breckland heathland was lost between 1934 and 1980. Huge areas have been planted with conifer plantations and many heaths have been ploughed for arable crops. Grazing by sheep and cattle has declined and rabbit populations crashed when myxomatosis arrived in 1954. Combined with

308-586: The council since 1998 have been: Following the 2023 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2024, the composition of the council was: Four of the independent councillors and the Green councillor sit together as the 'Independent and Green Group'. The next election is due in 2027. Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 49 councillors representing 27 wards , with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. Although

330-808: The creation in 1914 of Thetford Forest . However substantial areas have been preserved, not least by the presence of the British Army on the Stanford Battle Area . During the Prehistoric period Breckland was mined for flint , evidence for which can be found at Grimes Graves just outside Thetford in Norfolk . The word 'Breck' is medieval and was defined as being an area of heathland broken up for cultivation before being allowed to retreat back into wilderness. Up until 200 years ago, much of it consisted of open heathland. The Brecks today are

352-467: The features of the habitat that are important for the species and restoration possibilities, the degree of isolation of the population in relation to the species' natural range and a global assessment of conservation value. This stage is often informally referred to as 'moderation'. The criteria used in Stage 2 are intended to be used to assess the sites at the level of the nine biogeographical regions and

374-431: The flora and fauna that are unique to the area have a special protection status, or are part of conservation and rewilding projects. Fauna that are being monitored in Breckland habitats include the woodlark , stone curlews , grey carpet moth , lunar yellow under-wing moth, nightjars , brush-thighed seed-eater beetle, forester moth, moonshiner beetle, and five-banded tailed digger wasp. Rare or endangered plants include

396-611: The ice-sheets retreated. The trail may be accessed as a detour from the Peddars Way long-distance footpath. It is a Local Nature Reserve . Although the Brecks has experienced extraordinary change and loss of wildlife species and habitats in the last 50 years, the varied habitats of the area continue to provide a refuge for many threatened species. 43% of the Brecks is protected at a national or international level for its wildlife or geological interest. Over 12,845 species live in

418-438: The loss of bracken and heather collection for animal bedding, large areas of heath have now become densely vegetated, crowding out the plants that preferred the open, disturbed and well-grazed land. In addition, much of the open sand dune habitat has also become overgrown, with sand no longer moving around in the wind . A Pool Frog (Pelophylax lessonae) reintroduction project was started in 2005 by English Nature . Breckland

440-545: The natural habitat. SACs complement special protection areas and together form a network of protected sites across the European Union called Natura 2000 . This, in turn, is part of the Emerald network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) under the Berne Convention . Prior to being designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), sites have been assessed under a two-stage process set out by

462-559: The north of Suffolk . An area of considerable interest for its unusual flora and fauna, it lies to the east of another unusual habitat, the Fens , and to the south west of the Broads . The typical tree of this area is the Scots pine . Breckland is one of the driest areas in England. The area of Breckland has been substantially reduced in the twentieth century by the impact of modern farming and

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484-564: Was completed in 1992 and formally opened on 20 May 1993 by Elizabeth II . The district is entirely divided into 113 civil parishes . The parish councils for Attleborough, Dereham, Swaffham, Thetford and Watton have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council. The parishes are: 52°38′N 0°59′E  /  52.633°N 0.983°E  / 52.633; 0.983 Breckland Breckland in Norfolk and Suffolk

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