Bath and North East Somerset (commonly referred to as BANES) is an English unitary local government authority that was created on April 1, 1996 following the abolition of Avon County Council, and is an administrative county in its own right.
Bath is the principal town but BANES also covers Keynsham, Radstock and Midsomer Norton.
Since BANES was created no political party has been in overall control of the council. The Liberal Democrats quickly became the dominant party, but in the local elections on May 1, 2003 the Conservative Party won ten seats and is almost level with the Liberal Democrats. The Labour Party has only six seats, none of which is in Bath.
Local issues include traffic calming measures, graffiti, council tax and the escalating cost of the new (and much delayed) Thermae Bath Spa development.
BANES is often criticised for being divided between its distinct component parts, the urban Bath and rural North East Somerset, with Bath getting most of the investment and attention from the council. However, it is predominantly Bath residents who are campaigning for a return to a separate Bath city council as it existed under the former Avon County. The district was formed as a merger of the former Avon districts of Bath and Wansdyke.
The county borders Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire.
On December 10, 2003, Bath and North East Somerset was granted Fairtrade Zone status.
Towns and villages