South Holland District

South Holland is a local government district of Lincolnshire, England. The council is based in Spalding. Other notable towns and villages include Crowland, Sutton Bridge, Donington, Holbeach and Long Sutton. The district is named after the historical division of Lincolnshire known as the Parts of Holland.

The neighbouring districts are Boston, North Kesteven, South Kesteven, Peterborough, Fenland and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the area of three former districts from the administrative county of Holland, which were all abolished at the same time:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

• East Elloe Rural District
• Spalding Rural District
• Spalding Urban District

The new district was named South Holland referencing its position within Holland, one of the three historic parts of Lincolnshire.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

In 2021 the district council joined East Lindsey District Council and Boston Borough Council in the "South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership" which shares management and other staff.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Governance

South Holland District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lincolnshire County Council.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> Much of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. The town of Spalding is an unparished area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Political control

The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2003.

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:<ref name=compositions>Template:Cite web (Put "South Holland" in search box to see specific results.)</ref>

Party in control		Years
Template:Party name with colour	1974–1987
Template:Party name with colour	1987–1991
Template:Party name with colour	1991–1997
Template:Party name with colour	1997–1999
Template:Party name with colour	1999–2002
Template:Party name with colour	2002–2003
Template:Party name with colour	2003–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1999 have been:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Eddy Poll<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	1999	2003
Gary Porter<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	2003	May 2023
Nick Worth<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	17 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to March 2025, the composition of the council was:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Party		Councillors
Template:Party name with colour	19
Template:Party name with colour	10
Template:Party name with colour	5
Template:Party name with colour	3
Total		37

The next election is due in 2027.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Premises

The council is based at the Council Offices on Priory Road in Spalding. The original building had been completed in 1954 for the Spalding Rural District Council, one of the modern council's predecessors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A large extension was added in front of the original building in 1991.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Elections

Template:Also Since the last boundary changes in 2007 the council has comprised 37 councillors representing 18 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

Demographics

There were 76,512 residents in the district at the 2001 census.<ref name=SHDC>Template:Cite web</ref> The median age was nearly 43.<ref name=SHDC/> 82.6% of people in the district claimed to adhere to a Christian religion – the highest proportion of any district in the East Midlands.

The 2011 census reports 88,270 people at 1.2 per hectare in 37,264 households.<ref name=census2011>Template:Cite web</ref>

Much of the district is low-lying and highly fertile agricultural land which is protected from flooding by land drainage. This is the responsibility of the South Holland Internal Drainage Board and the Environment Agency.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Media

In terms of television, the area is served by BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and ITV Yorkshire broadcast from the Belmont transmitter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> BBC East Midlands and ITV Central can also be received from the Waltham TV transmitter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With the co-channel interference from the Waltham transmitter, a small number of households in the southern tip of the district are able to receive BBC East and ITV Anglia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Radio stations for the area are: <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• BBC Radio Lincolnshire on 104.7 FM and 94.9 FM
• BBC Radio Cambridgeshire can also be received on 95.7 FM,
• Lincs FM on DAB
• Greatest Hits Radio Lincolnshire on 96.7FM and 102.2 FM
• Connect Radio on 106.8 FM
• Heart East on 102.7 FM
• Tulip Radio (for Spalding) on 107.5 FM