Photo: Bikeboy · CC BY-SA 2.0The Conservatives hold a majority on Breckland Council
Watton is run by Breckland Council and Norfolk County Council, with Watton parish council for local matters. The Conservatives have a majority on Breckland Council and Norfolk County Council. Its MP is George Freeman (Conservative), member for Mid Norfolk.
£2,463
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Watton’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Breckland Council
The Conservatives hold a majority on Breckland Council: 31 of its 49 seats as elected. Labour holds 9, independents 5, Reform UK 3 and the Greens 1. Who’s in charge ↓
Norfolk in 2021
Norfolk County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, has a Conservative majority at the May 2021 election: the Conservatives won 53 of 84 seats. Norfolk ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Watton is £2,484 for 2026–27; Breckland Council keeps 5% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 57% in ten years, in line with England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
Who holds the seats on Watton’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 25 of Breckland’s 49 or 43 of Norfolk’s 84 seats to run the council alone.
- Conservative31
- Labour9
- Independent5
- Reform UK3
- Green1
Latest election: May 2023.
- Conservative53
- Labour11
- Liberal Democrat10
- Green4
- Independent4
- Reform UK2
Latest election: May 2021.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
Two tiers of council, and a parish tier
Watton has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.
78% of Watton’s residents · Band D precept £171
The parish council for the part of Watton inside Carbrooke parish.
Who runs Watton: same source as Who runs Watton, above.
The parish council for the part of Watton inside Griston parish.
Who runs Watton: same source as Who runs Watton, above.
Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
Website ↗Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.
Website ↗Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: in two-tier areas the district or borough runs local services and the county the big ones.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Watton, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parish3 parish councilsWatton parish councilCarbrooke parish councilGriston parish council
- 2Breckland Council3 wards · 7 councillorsKeith Stephen GilbertClaire Rosemary BowesTina KiddellHelen CranePeter Kevin BateSarah Elizabeth SuggittPhil Cowen
- 3Norfolk County Council2 divisions · 2 councillorsClaire Rosemary BowesEdward Stefan Connolly
- 4Police and crime commissionerNorfolk Constabulary · elected July 2026Colin Sutton
- 5House of CommonsMid Norfolk
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
7 councillors for 3 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Keith Stephen GilbertIndependent · May 2023
- Claire Rosemary BowesConservative · May 2023
- Tina KiddellConservative · May 2023
- Helen CraneConservative · May 2023
- Peter Kevin BateGreen · May 2023
- Sarah Elizabeth SuggittConservative · May 2023
- Phil CowenConservative · May 2023
Show as a table, with Norfolk County Council’s 2 divisions (2 councillors)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wattonall in Watton · 8,971 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Keith Stephen GilbertClaire Rosemary BowesTina Kiddell | May 2023 |
| Saham Toney39% in Watton · 2,128 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Helen CranePeter Kevin Bate | May 2023 |
| All Saints & Wayland6% in Watton · 450 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Sarah Elizabeth SuggittPhil Cowen | May 2023 |
Norfolk County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watton EDall in Watton · 8,971 residents1 seat · May 2021 | 1 | Claire Rosemary Bowes | May 2021 |
| Yare and All Saints ED11% in Watton · 2,578 residents1 seat · May 2021 | 1 | Edward Stefan Connolly | May 2021 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Breckland Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Breckland council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up Watton, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
3 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Watton’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗4,650 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
1,604 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
3,374 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Watton is in Mid Norfolk constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Watton).
45,897 votes for candidates · majority 3,054
Conservative, MP since 6 May 2010.
turnout in July 2024: 45,897 votes from 75,238 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 3,054 of 45,897 votes (6.7%): the 122nd-narrowest of 543 in England.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Watton’s Band D council tax is £2,484 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Breckland Council keeps £125.45 of a Band D bill (5%); the rest goes to the Watton parish council, Norfolk County Council and the Norfolk police and crime commissioner.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,463 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Breckland’s Band D bill has risen 57% in ten years, from £1,558.80 in 2016–17, in line with England’s average (56%). It was £502.88 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Watton, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Norfolk’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,300.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Norfolk
| Breckland + Norfolk | Watton’s councils | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £504 | £505 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £259 | £259 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £54 | £40 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £31 | £37 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £125 | £125 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £46 | £43 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £38 | £41 | £26 |
| Public health | £60 | £60 | £78 |
| Running the council | £66 | £69 | £59 |
| Other | £49 | £39 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,282 | £1,268 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: Breckland per its residents plus Norfolk per the county’s. Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Norfolk and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Watton is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
breckland.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
breckland.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Watton is run
Which council runs Watton?
Watton is run by Breckland Council and Norfolk County Council. The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does Watton have a town council?
Yes: Watton has its own parish-tier council (Watton parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £171 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.
Who is the MP for Watton?
George Freeman (Conservative) is the MP for Mid Norfolk, which covers Watton.
How many councillors does Watton have?
7 ward councillors represent Watton’s 3 wards, and 2 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Watton?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Watton’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Watton?
Band D council tax in Watton is £2,463 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Breckland Council?
The Conservatives have a majority: 31 of 49 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2023 council election in Watton?
In Watton’s wards on 4 May 2023, Conservative 5 · Green 1 · Independent 1 of the 7 seats up. The Conservatives had the largest share of votes, 44.5%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.