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North Somerset covers an area of 145 square miles in the South West of England. More than two thirds of the district is rural with the majority of our 204,700 residents living in the main towns of Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon and Nailsea. Our boundary stretches from the Severn Estuary and River Avon in the north to the Mendip Hills in the south with our 27 miles of coastline and areas of outstanding natural beauty making us a significant draw for holidaymakers. More than 5 million tourists visit us each year travelling down the M5 motorway which links us to Bristol, Birmingham, London and the rest of the UK. Bristol International Airport also lies within our boundaries which means we are open to visitors from Europe and the rest of the world as well. We are relatively prosperous area with low unemployment and where 36% of our earners commuting out of the area each day to neighbouring towns and cities such as Bath and Bristol. However, we also have significant pockets of deprivation with two of our Weston wards falling within the most deprived in England. We have a comparatively elderly population with the over-60s accounting for 25%, compared to the national average of 21%, of the population. Overall our population has doubled since the 1950s and is forecast to grow by a further 8% over the next decade. Working at the Council Our aim is to be an excellent council improving the quality of life for all. We provide hundreds of services which have a huge impact on the quality of people's lives. Education, social services, looking after the environment and working to bring jobs to the area are just a few of the services we provide. Working as one big team, we aim to provide good value for money by running our services efficiently and effectively. We are an equal opportunities employer and have been awarded the Investors in People standard for supporting and developing our staff. We have also been awarded the Two Ticks symbol for our commitment to the employment of disabled people and people with long-term health impairments.
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