Welcome to Bath & North East Somerset

Bath and North East Somerset stretches from the outskirts of Bristol, south into the Mendip Hills and east to the southern Cotswold Hills and Wiltshire border.

Bath & North East Somerset Council is responsible for serving the needs of this unique area’s residents and businesses. As a unitary authority we are charged with the delivery of all local authority services – from education to recycling, from planning to social services, from libraries to roads.

We are a 3 star council (rated from 0-4) and improving well.

Two thirds of the area’s 570 sq km (220 sq miles) is green belt, combining great natural beauty with some of the most significant historical treasures found anywhere in Europe.

It is also an area of great contrasts.

Approximately half the 170,000 population live in Bath, a World Heritage Site and one of the world’s great cities, famed for its hot springs, Georgian architecture and Roman antiquities.  Links to the University of Bath and Bath Spa University ensure, however, that the area is home to a vibrant commercial economy. The two universities complement each other lending their strengths particularly to specialist technology companies and creative industries.

As the largest town in North East Somerset, Keynsham occupies a key strategic position. With excellent links to the M4 and M5 motorways and situated on a main line railway service, Keynsham offers a significant opportunity for economic expansion in the area. Key sites have been identified to support this development potential.

Midsomer Norton and Radstock are important residential and commercial centres in the south of the district. The area boasts its own unique industrial heritage, being the site of the former Somerset coalfield. Currently a local centre for the printing and packaging industry, the towns of Midsomer Norton and Radstock are looking to diversify the economic base in the area, securing a sustainable future.

Bath and North East Somerset is on the threshold of significant and far-reaching changes which will affect the lives of everyone who lives or works in the area. The Council is leading the way on the development of our area. Major regeneration and development sites are due to be delivered in Bath, Keynsham and Radstock with the Bath Spa completed and Southgate redevelopment well underway.

Visit the Future for Bath and North East Somerset website to help shape the future of our area.