Bridgwater Without

Bridgwater Without is a civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England.

It lies to the east and south west of Bridgwater. The parish includes the villages and hamlets of Dunwear, Horsey, Slape Cross and Sydenham. In 2002 the parish had a population of 405.^[1]

Governance

The parish 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, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.

The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Bridgwater Rural District,^[2] who are responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.

Somerset County Council are responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, policing and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning.

It is also part of the Bridgwater and West Somerset county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, and part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament which elects seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

References

1. ^ "Parish Population Statistics for Sedgemoor". ONS Census 2001. Somerset County Council. http://www.webcitation.org/5lRyCSu4c. Retrieved 17 December 2009. 
2. ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Bridgwater Rural District

Coordinates: 51°08′24″N 2°57′54″W / 51.140°N 2.965°W / 51.140; -2.965