North Somerset

For the Parliament constituency covering a smaller area, see North Somerset (UK Parliament constituency).

"Woodspring" redirects here. For the former constituency, see Woodspring (UK Parliament constituency).

North Somerset
Unitary authority
North Somerset within Somerset
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South West England
Ceremonial county	Somerset
Admin HQ	Weston-super-Mare
Area first created	1 April 1974
Unitary status	1 April 1996
Government
• Type	Unitary authority
• Governing body	North Somerset Council
•  MPs:	John Penrose C Liam Fox C
Area
• Total	144.66 sq mi (374.68 km2)
Population  (2021) [1]
• Total	217,399 (Ranked 85th)
Ethnicity (2021) [2]
•  Ethnic groups	List 95.7% White 1.7% Mixed 1.5% Asian 0.6% other 0.5% Black
Religion (2021) [2]
•  Religion	List 46.6% Christianity 45.3% no religion 7.5% other 0.6% Islam
Time zone	UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
ISO 3166 code	GB-NSM
Website	http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/

North Somerset is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. The council is based in Weston-super-Mare, the area's largest town. The district also contains the towns of Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead, along with a number of villages and surrounding rural areas. Some southern parts of the district fall within the Mendip Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The district was formed in 1974 as the Woodspring district of the county of Avon. Avon was abolished in 1996, when the district was renamed North Somerset and its council took on county-level functions from the abolished county council.

The district is on the coast, facing the Bristol Channel to the west. The neighbouring districts are Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and Somerset.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering four former districts and part of a fifth, which were all abolished at the same time: ^[3]

• Axbridge Rural District (part, being Steep Holm island and parishes lying generally north of the River Axe and Mendip Hills, rest split between Mendip and Sedgemoor)
• Clevedon Urban District
• Long Ashton Rural District
• Portishead Urban District
• Weston-super-Mare Municipal Borough

Woodspring Priory, which gave its name to the district as created in 1974.

The whole area had been part of Somerset prior to the 1974 reforms, but was transferred to the new county of Avon. The new district was named Woodspring after Woodspring Priory, an isolated medieval church near the coast in the parish of Kewstoke, north of Weston-super-Mare. ^[4]

Following the Banham Review, the county of Avon was abolished in 1996, with the area being divided into unitary authorities responsible for both district and county-level functions. Woodspring became one of the unitary authorities, and the government gave the district the new name "North West Somerset" as part of the reforms. ^[5] The area was also transferred back to Somerset for the ceremonial purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty. ^[6]

In July 1995 the council resolved to change the name to "North Somerset" with effect from when the reforms came into effect on 1 April 1996. Some years later the government identified that the council's decision to rename in 1995 may not have been technically valid, and so in 2005 the council passed another resolution formally changing the name to put the matter beyond doubt. ^{[7] [8]}

Governance

Main article: North Somerset Council

North Somerset Council provides both county-level and district-level services. The whole area is also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government. ^[9]

The area comprises the parliamentary constituencies of Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset.

Settlements

Map of wards within North Somerset

The principal towns in the district are the coastal towns of Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon and Nailsea.

• Abbots Leigh
• Backwell, Banwell, Barrow Gurney, Blagdon, Bleadon, Bourton, Brockley, Burrington, Butcombe
• Cambridge Batch, Chelvey, Christon, Churchill, Clapton in Gordano, Claverham, Cleeve, Clevedon, Congresbury
• Downside, Dundry
• East End, East Hewish, East Rolstone, Easton in Gordano
• Failand, Farleigh, Felton, Flax Bourton
• Ham Green, Hutton
• Icelton
• Kenn, Kewstoke, Kingston Seymour
• Leigh Woods, Locking, Lodway, Long Ashton, Lower Failand, Lower Langford, Loxton, Lulsgate Bottom
• Maiden Head, Milton
• Nailsea, North End, North Weston
• Pill, Portbury, Portishead, Puxton
• Redcliffe Bay, Redhill, Regil, Rickford
• Sandford, Sheepway, Sidcot, St Georges, St Mary's Grove
• Tickenham
• Uphill, Upper Town
• Walton in Gordano, West End, West Hewish, West Town, West Wick, Weston in Gordano, Weston-super-Mare, Wick St. Lawrence, Winford, Winscombe, Worle, Wraxall, Wrington
• Yatton

Places of interest

North Somerset's natural environment and coastal towns attract visitors from nearby cities. Notable geographical features include:

• Gordano Valley
• Mendip Hills  – the ridgeway forms part of the district boundary
• Sand Bay and Sand Point
• Worlebury Hill
• Burrington Combe, Goblin Combe, Brockley Combe
• North Somerset Levels

Notable religious sites include Woodspring Priory.

Parishes

Image	Name	Status	Population	Former local authority	Coordinates	Refs
	Abbots Leigh	Civil parish	799	Long Ashton Rural District	51°28′N2°39′W / 51.46°N 2.65°W / 51.46; -2.65 (Abbots Leigh)	[10] [11]
	Backwell	Civil parish	4,589	Long Ashton Rural District	51°25′N2°44′W / 51.41°N 2.73°W / 51.41; -2.73 (Backwell)	[10] [11]
	Banwell	Civil parish	2,919	Axbridge Rural District	51°19′N2°52′W / 51.32°N 2.86°W / 51.32; -2.86 (Banwell)	[10] [12]
	Barrow Gurney	Civil parish	349	Long Ashton Rural District	51°24′N2°40′W / 51.40°N 2.67°W / 51.40; -2.67 (Barrow Gurney)	[10] [11]
	Blagdon	Civil parish	1,116	Axbridge Rural District	51°20′N2°43′W / 51.33°N 2.72°W / 51.33; -2.72 (Blagdon)	[10] [12]
	Bleadon	Civil parish	1,079	Axbridge Rural District	51°19′N2°56′W / 51.31°N 2.94°W / 51.31; -2.94 (Bleadon)	[10] [12]
	Brockley	Civil parish	277	Long Ashton Rural District	51°23′N2°46′W / 51.39°N 2.76°W / 51.39; -2.76 (Brockley, Somerset)	[10] [11]
	Burrington	Civil parish	464	Axbridge Rural District	51°20′N2°44′W / 51.33°N 2.74°W / 51.33; -2.74 (Burrington, Somerset)	[10] [12]
	Butcombe	Civil parish	218	Axbridge Rural District	51°21′N2°41′W / 51.35°N 2.69°W / 51.35; -2.69 (Butcombe)	[10] [12]
	Churchill	Civil parish	2,235	Axbridge Rural District	51°20′N2°47′W / 51.33°N 2.79°W / 51.33; -2.79 (Churchill, Somerset)	[10] [12]
	Clapton in Gordano	Civil parish	348	Long Ashton Rural District	51°28′N2°45′W / 51.46°N 2.75°W / 51.46; -2.75 (Clapton in Gordano)	[10] [11]
	Cleeve	Civil parish	902	Long Ashton Rural District	51°23′N2°46′W / 51.39°N 2.77°W / 51.39; -2.77 (Cleeve, Somerset)	[10] [11]
	Clevedon	Town	21,281	Clevedon Urban District	51°26′N2°51′W / 51.43°N 2.85°W / 51.43; -2.85 (Clevedon)	[10] [13]
	Congresbury	Civil parish	3,497	Axbridge Rural District	51°22′N2°49′W / 51.37°N 2.81°W / 51.37; -2.81 (Congresbury)	[10] [12]
	Dundry	Civil parish	829	Long Ashton Rural District	51°23′N2°38′W / 51.39°N 2.64°W / 51.39; -2.64 (Dundry)	[10] [11]
	Easton in Gordano	Civil parish	4,828	Long Ashton Rural District	51°29′N2°41′W / 51.48°N 2.69°W / 51.48; -2.69 (Easton in Gordano)	[10] [11]
	Flax Bourton	Civil parish	715	Long Ashton Rural District	51°25′N2°43′W / 51.42°N 2.71°W / 51.42; -2.71 (Flax Bourton)	[10] [11]
	Hutton	Civil parish	2,582	Axbridge Rural District	51°19′N2°56′W / 51.32°N 2.93°W / 51.32; -2.93 (Hutton, Somerset)	[10] [12]
	Kenn	Civil parish	431	Long Ashton Rural District	51°25′N2°50′W / 51.42°N 2.84°W / 51.42; -2.84 (Kenn, Somerset)	[10] [11]
	Kewstoke	Civil parish	1,690	Axbridge Rural District	51°22′N2°58′W / 51.37°N 2.96°W / 51.37; -2.96 (Kewstoke)	[10] [12]
	Kingston Seymour	Civil parish	388	Long Ashton Rural District	51°23′N2°52′W / 51.39°N 2.86°W / 51.39; -2.86 (Kingston Seymour)	[10] [11]
	Locking	Civil parish	2,756	Axbridge Rural District	51°20′N2°55′W / 51.33°N 2.91°W / 51.33; -2.91 (Locking, North Somerset)	[10] [12]
	Long Ashton	Civil parish	6,044	Long Ashton Rural District	51°26′N2°39′W / 51.43°N 2.65°W / 51.43; -2.65 (Long Ashton)	[10] [11]
	Loxton	Civil parish	192	Axbridge Rural District	51°17′N2°53′W / 51.29°N 2.89°W / 51.29; -2.89 (Loxton, North Somerset)	[10] [12]
	Nailsea	Town	15,630	Long Ashton Rural District	51°26′N2°46′W / 51.43°N 2.76°W / 51.43; -2.76 (Nailsea)	[10] [11]
	Portbury	Civil parish	827	Long Ashton Rural District	51°28′N2°43′W / 51.47°N 2.72°W / 51.47; -2.72 (Portbury)	[10] [11]
	Portishead	Town	23,699	Portishead Urban District Long Ashton Rural District	51°29′N2°46′W / 51.48°N 2.77°W / 51.48; -2.77 (Portishead and North Weston)	[10] [11]
	Puxton	Civil parish	359	Axbridge Rural District	51°22′N2°51′W / 51.37°N 2.85°W / 51.37; -2.85 (Puxton)	[10] [12]
	St Georges	Civil parish	3,379	Axbridge Rural District	51°22′N2°54′W / 51.36°N 2.90°W / 51.36; -2.90 (St. Georges, North Somerset)	[10] [12]
	Tickenham	Civil parish	910	Axbridge Rural District	51°26′N2°48′W / 51.44°N 2.80°W / 51.44; -2.80 (Tickenham)	[10] [12]
	Walton in Gordano	Civil parish	273	Axbridge Rural District	51°27′N2°50′W / 51.45°N 2.83°W / 51.45; -2.83 (Walton in Gordano)	[10] [12]
	Weston in Gordano	Civil parish	301	Axbridge Rural District	51°28′N2°47′W / 51.46°N 2.79°W / 51.46; -2.79 (Weston in Gordano)	[10] [12]
	Weston super Mare	Town	76,143	Axbridge Rural District Weston super Mare Municipal Borough	51°21′N2°58′W / 51.35°N 2.97°W / 51.35; -2.97 (Weston-super-Mare)	[10] [12]
	Wick St Lawrence	Civil parish	1,331	Axbridge Rural District	51°23′N2°55′W / 51.38°N 2.91°W / 51.38; -2.91 (Wick St. Lawrence)	[10] [12]
	Winford	Civil parish	2,153	Long Ashton Rural District	51°23′N2°40′W / 51.38°N 2.66°W / 51.38; -2.66 (Winford)	[10] [11]
	Winscombe and Sandford	Civil parish	4,546	Axbridge Rural District	51°19′N2°50′W / 51.31°N 2.83°W / 51.31; -2.83 (Winscombe and Sandford)	[10] [12]
	Wraxall and Failand	Civil parish	2,302	Long Ashton Rural District	51°26′N2°44′W / 51.44°N 2.73°W / 51.44; -2.73 (Wraxall and Failand)	[10] [11]
	Wrington	Civil parish	2,633	Axbridge Rural District	51°22′N2°46′W / 51.36°N 2.76°W / 51.36; -2.76 (Wrington)	[10] [12]
	Yatton	Civil parish	7,552	Long Ashton Rural District	51°23′N2°50′W / 51.39°N 2.83°W / 51.39; -2.83 (Yatton)	[10] [11]

Economy

North Somerset's economy is traditionally based on agriculture, including sheep raised for wool on the Mendip Hills and dairy farming in the valleys. This is celebrated at the annual North Somerset Show. During the Georgian era tourism became a significant economic sector in the coastal towns, most notably Weston-super-Mare which grew from a small village to a large resort town. Though tourism declined in the mid to late-20th century, in common with most British coastal resorts, this sector of the economy has stabilised.

In the 19th century the major port city of Bristol found that modern ships had outgrown the narrow river approach and the Port of Bristol company began seeking locations for new docks on the coast. The first of these was Portishead Dock, which handled coal from South Wales, though this too has seen shipping outgrow its facilities. The newer Royal Portbury Dock is noted for the large volume of car imports.

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of North and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire at current basic prices (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. ^[14]

Year	Regional gross value added 1	Agriculture 2	Industry 3	Services 4
1995	5,916	125	1,919	3,872
2000	8,788	86	2,373	6,330
2003	10,854	67	2,873	7,914

^1 Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
^2 includes hunting and forestry
^3 includes energy and construction
^4 includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured

Demographics

North Somerset compared
UK Census 2001	North Somerset UA [15]	South West England [16]	England [16]
Total population	188,564	4,928,434	49,138,831
Foreign born	9.5%	9.4%	9.2%
White	97.1%	97.7%	91%
Asian	1.7%	0.7%	4.6%
Black	0.9%	0.4%	2.3%
Christian	75.0%	74.0%	72%
Muslim	0.2%	0.5%	3.1%
Hindu	0.1%	0.2%	1.1%
No religion	16.6%	16.8%	15%
Over 75 years old	9.9%	9.3%	7.5%
Unemployed	2.1%	2.6%	3.3%

North Somerset covers an area of around 145 square miles (380 km²) and has a resident population of 193,000 (1.4% BME) living in 85,000 households. ^[17]

The population of North Somerset has doubled since the 1950s and is predicted to rise by 6,184 or 3.0% to 2011 and by 17% to 2026. Whilst the proportion of people in North Somerset who are under 45 is lower than the national average, population growth is predicted to be strongest in the 2034 age group. Conversely North Somerset has a 4.2% higher percentage of older people (60+ female, 65+ male) than the rest of England and Wales. This disparity increases with age with the percentage of the population over 75 years almost 30% higher than the national average, resulting in a relatively aged population. ^[18]

In 2001 there were 134,132 people of working age living in North Somerset and 91,767 were in employment; an economic activity rate of 68.4%. This is very close to the economic activity rate of the West of England sub-region which was 68.8% in the 2001 census. ^[17]

The 2001 census stated that 1.38% of North Somerset residents identified themselves as belonging to a visible ethnic group and a further 1.27% identified themselves as 'white other'. ^[19]

Population since 1801 [20]
Year	1801	1851	1901	1911	1921	1931	1941	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001
Population North Somerset [21]	16,670	33,774	60,066	68,410	75,276	82,833	91,967	102,119	119,509	139,924	160,353	179,865	188,556

Education

See also: List of schools in North Somerset

As of 2023 ^[update] , North Somerset Council is associated with 72 primary schools and 18 secondary schools. ^{[22] [23]} There are also four independent (private) schools in the area. ^[24]

Weston College is the main provider of further education in the area. University Centre Weston offers higher education courses in conjunction with Bath Spa University and the University of the West of England.

See also

• Somerset portal

• Grade I listed buildings in North Somerset
• Grade II* listed buildings in North Somerset
• List of scheduled monuments in North Somerset

References

1. "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
2. UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – North Somerset Local Authority (E06000024)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
3. "The English Non-metropolitan District (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 17 November 2023
4. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
5. "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1995/493, retrieved 14 December 2023
6. "Lieutenancies Act 1997", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1997 c. 23, retrieved 14 December 2023
7. "Report to the Executive". 14 June 2005. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
8. "Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Council". 28 June 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
9. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
10. "2011 Census Profile". North Somerset Council. Archived from the original (Excel) on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
11. "Long Ashton RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
12. "Axbridge RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
13. "Clevedon UD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
14. "Regional Gross Value Added" (PDF). National Statistics. 21 December 2005. Retrieved 3 June 2007.
15. United Kingdom Census 2001 (2001). "Key Figures for 2001 Census: Census Area Statistics: Area: North Somerset". statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
16. United Kingdom Census 2001 (2001). "Key Figures for 2001 Census: Census Area Statistics: Area: Bath and North East Somerset". statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
17. "Local Area Agreement for North Somerset 2007–2010". North Somerset Partnership. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
18. "Culture, Leisure and Tourism and Topic Paper" (PDF). North Somerset Core Strategy document. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
19. "North Somerset Council Race Equality Scheme 2007–2010". North Somerset Council. Archived from the original (Word) on 29 October 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
20. A Vision of Britain through Time
21. "North Somerset: Total Population". A Vision of Britain Through Time. Great Britain Historical GIS Project. Retrieved 13 December 2007.
22. "North Somerset schools and admissions data". admissionsday.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
23. "Find your local school". North Somerset Council. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
24. "School updates: Independent schools". North Somerset Council. Retrieved 2 April 2023.

External links

• North Somerset Council

51°23′N2°48′W / 51.39°N 2.80°W / 51.39; -2.80