South Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Long Stratton.

The district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of Diss Urban District, Wymondham Urban District, Depwade Rural District, Forehoe and Henstead Rural District and Loddon Rural District.

The below table outlines the composition of South Norfolk Council from 1973 to 2007.

2007 saw the Conservatives win 55.1% of the vote and 39 seats in total, gaining 21 seats from the Liberal Democrats, who retained 7 seats despite having 39.2% of the vote. The other parties standing received only 5.7% of the total vote, and no seats.

The strongest local performances from other parties were Labour in Wymondham Rustens ward with 20.1%, and the Green Party in Cringleford ward with 14.4%.

^[1] Others: Independents, UKIP and EDP.

Elections are held every four years, with the last elections occurring in May 2007. The next elections are due to take place in May 2011.

The district is entirely parished, and is made up of 119 civil parishes. At the time of the 2001 census, the district had an area of 909 km², with a population of 110,710 in 46,607 households.

Norfolk ( /ˈnɔrfək/) is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The city of Norwich is the county town at Norfolk which is fifth largest ceremonial county in England, with an area of 5,371 km² (2,074 sq mi).

Of the 34 non-metropolitan English counties, Norfolk is the seventh most populous, with a population of 850,800 (mid 2008). However, as a largely rural county it has a low population density, 155 people per square kilometre (or 401 per square mile). Norfolk has about one-thirtieth the population density of central London, the tenth lowest density county in the country, with 38% of the county’s population living in the four major built up areas of Norwich (195,000), Great Yarmouth (67,000), King's Lynn (41,000) and Thetford (22,000).The Broads, a well known network of rivers and lakes, is located towards the county's east coast, bordering Suffolk. The area has the status of a National Park and is protected by the Broads Authority. Historical sites, such as those in the centre of Norwich, also contribute to tourism.

Baptist May (1628–1698) was a Royal courtier during the reign of Charles II of England. He is said to have been Charles's closest and most trusted servant, largely as a result of his knowledge that the king did not like to be approached on matters of business.

May was born in Mid Lavant, the son of Sir Humphrey May, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and his second wife, Judith daughter of Sir William Poley. He was a cousin of Hugh May, the architect. Baptist was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber in 1662 and Keeper of the Privy Purse three years later, thanks to the influence of Charles's mistress, Barbara Palmer (née Villiers), Countess of Castlemaine. Castlemaine wanted to ensure that the Keeper was an ally; this would ensure that the payments due to her would become a high priority.

He was nominated by James, Duke of York, the future James II as MP for Winchelsea; however, he lost the election. He joined the Countess of Castlemaine to bring down Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon in 1667. However, Clarendon's downfall was attributed to his lack of support for the Anglo-Dutch war, so it is unlikely that either Castlemaine or May were major contributors.