A Norfolk council has launched an official bid to increase in size amid efforts to keep pace with its growing population. 

The Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) has opened a public consultation into the expansion of Breckland Council, which is seeking to boost its numbers of councillors from 49 to 51. 

The proposal was mooted at a meeting in December after it was found that more than a third of wards in the district were underrepresented.

People living in Breckland will now have their say on the plans and help to decide where the new ward boundaries will lie. 

The move comes a decade on from the last review of the authority, which saw its number of councillors cut by 9pc - from 54 to 49. 

Eastern Daily Press: Breckland oversees several large towns, including ThetfordBreckland oversees several large towns, including Thetford (Image: Denise Bradley)

In a report to the council, the LGBC said an increase in members would allow the authority to keep pace with population growth and carry out effective decision-making.

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The district has a population of more than 141,000, which is an increase of 8.5pc compared to 2011, meaning that there is a disparity between the number of councillors and people living in certain areas.

More than 16,500 new homes are set to be built across the district by 2046 and some towns are receiving huge investments into their regeneration - Thetford will receive a £20m boost as part of a recent government scheme. 

The LGBC hopes that filling two new posts would help to improve the services provided by the council. However, this would not come into force for three years.

It added that the increased number of members would ensure that any debate is "informed by a range of views and opinions", and avoid detrimental impact due to absences or unavailability. 

The public consultation opened today and will run for 10 weeks.