Fenland District | |
|---|---|
 March town centre | |
 Fenland shown within Cambridgeshire | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | East of England |
| Non-metropolitan county | Cambridgeshire |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district |
| Admin HQ | Fenland Hall, March |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | Fenland District Council |
| Area | |
• Total | 210.99 sq mi (546.45 km2) |
| • Rank | 72nd(of 296) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 104,896 |
| • Rank | 236th(of 296) |
| • Density | 497.17/sq mi (191.96/km2) |
| Ethnicity(2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion(2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ONS code | 12UD (ONS) E07000010 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | TL417969 |
Fenland is alocal government district inCambridgeshire, England. It was historically part of theIsle of Ely. The district covers around 500 square kilometres (190 sq mi) of mostly agricultural land in the extremely flatFens. The council is based in Fenland Hall, inMarch. Other towns includeChatteris,Whittlesey andWisbech, the largest of the four.
Since 2017 the district has been a constituent member of theCambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, led by the directly-electedMayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.[2]
The neighbouring districts areEast Cambridgeshire,Huntingdonshire,Peterborough,South Holland andKing's Lynn and West Norfolk.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of six former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[3]
The new district was named Fenland, referencing its position withinthe Fens.[4]
Fenland District Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Paul Medd since October 2011 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 43 councillors[6] |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Fenland Hall, County Road, March, PE15 8NQ | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Fenland District Council providesdistrict-level services.County-level services are provided byCambridgeshire County Council. The whole district is also covered bycivil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[7]
The council has been underConservative 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 came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[8][9]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1976 | |
| Conservative | 1976–1995 | |
| Labour | 1995–1999 | |
| Conservative | 1999–present | |
Theleaders of the council since 2014 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Melton[10] | Conservative | 8 May 2014 | ||
| John Clark[10][11] | Conservative | 8 May 2014 | 12 Jan 2018 | |
| Chris Seaton[12][13] | Conservative | 22 Feb 2018 | 23 May 2019 | |
| Chris Boden[14] | Conservative | 23 May 2019 | ||
Following the2023 election, the composition of the council was:[15]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 35 | |
| Independent | 6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | |
| Total | 43 | |
The next election is due in 2027.[16]
Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council has comprised 43councillors representing 18wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[17]
In the2019 election, twelve councillors – all Conservative – were returned unopposed to Fenland District Council, which topped theElectoral Reform Society's list of 'rotten boroughs'.[18]
The council is based atFenland Hall in March. The opening ceremony for the original building was held on 28 July 1909 as thecounty hall for the formerIsle of Ely County Council.[19][20]
The whole district is divided into 16civil parishes. The parish councils for Chatteris, March, Whittlesey and Wisbech take the style "town council".[21]
The local economy has traditionally been built upon farming and other food-related industries. The food industry is well-established, and related processing, storage, packaging and distribution have become more sophisticated and diverse. The predominantlyrural economy of the area also includes a strong industrial tradition, including brewing, brick making, can making, pet food production, printing and engineering, and many local residents commute outside the district to work or study. TheRiver Nene provides access to the sea via thePort of Wisbech. Other waterways provide opportunities for angling and other water based activities. Marinas are located inWisbech and March.[22]
The council run markets in three of the towns (the market in Wisbech is run byWisbech Town Council) and a number of festivals and other events.[23]
A proposal for a new Fenland rail link was agreed in June 2020.[24]
Fenland council handed £370,400 to its chief executive, Tim Pilsbury, when he took early retirement in 2010–11.[25]
The term "Fen Tiger" is associated with the Fens. A flag with a tiger emblazoned on it is now representative of this part of the county.[26]
A number of organisations such as the Fenland Archaeological Society (FenArch) and publications such as theFenland Citizen andThe Fens magazine cover much or all of the district. TheWisbech & Fenland Museum for many years was the only museum covering the area. However, the district council ceased funding the museum in 2016.[27]
Since 2012, local poets have been eligible for the Fenland Poet Laureate award. Laureates include:
Fenland is twinned with:
Merrison, Karen (15 May 2022).Secret Fens.Amberley.ISBN 978-1398108042.
