Fenland District
Fenland District | |
|---|---|
 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 | March |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | Fenland District Council |
| • Leadership | Leader & Cabinet (Conservative) |
| • MPs | Stephen Barclay |
| Area | |
| • Total | 210.99 sq mi (546.45 km2) |
| • Rank | 72nd (of 296) |
| Population (2022) | |
| • Total | 103,035 |
| • Rank | 234th (of 296) |
| • Density | 490/sq mi (190/km2) |
| • Ethnicity | 98.6% White |
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ONS code | 12UD (ONS) E07000010 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | TL417969 |
| Website | www |
Fenland is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in March, and it covers the neighbouring market towns of Chatteris, Whittlesey and Wisbech; the last is often called the "capital of the fens".[1]
The district covers around 500 square kilometres (210.99 square miles) of mostly-agricultural land in the extremely-flat Fens. The population of the district was 98,262 at the 2011 Census.[2]
It was formed on 1 April 1974, with the merger of the Borough of Wisbech, Chatteris Urban District, March Urban District, Whittlesey Urban District, North Witchford Rural District and Wisbech Rural District.[3]
Politics
Fenland District Council is elected every four years, with currently thirty nine councillors being elected at each election. Since 1976 the Conservative party has held control of the Council, apart from a period after 1995 when Labour had control, but the Conservatives regained a majority at the 1999 election. As of the 2015 elections the council is composed of the following councillors:[4]
#0087DC #DCDCDC #FAA61A| Party | Councillors | |
| Conservative Party | 34 | |
| Independent | 3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | |
Economy
The Fenland economy has for years been built upon farming and food related industry. The food industry is now well established, and related processing, storage, packaging and distribution has become more sophisticated and diverse. The predominantly rural economy of the area has also included a strong industrial tradition, including brick making, printing and engineering, but many Fenland residents already travel outside the area to work.
As growth of the local economy from Cambridge continues, the pressure for outsourcing of industry, housing and jobs is expected to move northwards[citation needed]. Chatteris will be given priority for economic regeneration in the Cambridge sub-region[citation needed] and further housing allocations will be dependent on improving job prospects.
Fenland council gave £370,400 to its chief executive Tim Pilsbury when he took early retirement in 2010–11.[5]
Twinning
Fenland is twinned with:
- Nettetal in Kreis Viersen in Germany
- Cook County, New Zealand
See also
References
- ^ Wisbech Community Network
- ^ "Non Metropolitan District Council population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ^ The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972 – SI 1972/2038
- ^ Council, Fenland District. "Committees – Fenland District Council". www.fenland.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- ^ Swinford, Steven; Walton, Gregory (1 January 2013). "£100,000 Pay-Offs For Council Chiefs". The Daily Telegraph. London.
