Portishead and North Weston
| Portishead and North Weston | |
 Portishead viewed from Naish Hill |
|
  Portishead and North Weston |
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| Population | 23,699 [1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | ST465765 |
| Civil parish | Portishead and North Weston |
| Unitary authority | North Somerset |
| Ceremonial county | Somerset |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Woodspring |
Coordinates: 51°29′06″N 2°46′19″W / 51.48491°N 2.77187°W
Portishead and North Weston is a civil parish with a Town Council in North Somerset, England. The parish includes the coastal town of Portishead along with the village of North Weston. The 2011 census gave the population as 23,699.[1]
Governance
The town council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’s operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village hall or community centre, playing fields and playgrounds, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning.
The parish falls within the unitary authority of North Somerset which was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. It provides a single tier of local government with responsibility for almost all local government functions within their area including local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection, recycling, cemeteries, crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism. They are also responsible for education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning.
North Somerset's area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters are in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare. The parish is part of the North Somerset county constituency of the House of Commons. It has been represented since 1992 by Liam Fox, a member of the Conservative Party, who was Secretary of State for Defence.[2] It is also part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.[3]
History
North Weston was historically a hamlet in the parish of Portishead.[4] It was created a separate civil parish in 1894.[5]
Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, both parishes were in the Woodspring district of the county of Avon.[6] Before 1974 the parishes were part of the Long Ashton Rural District[7] and Portishead Urban District.[8]
The two parishes were united in 1993,[9] and the united parish became part of North Somerset in 1996.
References
- 1 2 "2011 Census Profile" (Excel). North Somerset Council. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ↑ "Liam Fox". They work for you. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ↑ "UK MEPs for the South West". European Parliament UK Office. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
- ↑ National Gazetteer, 1868
- ↑ Vision of Britain website
- ↑ "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995". HMSO. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
- ↑ "Long Ashton RD". A vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ↑ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Portishead Urban District
- ↑ This is Bristol: 20 September 2008