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91-852: The Chew Valley and Wrington Vale Gazette is a monthly local newspaper for the Chew Valley and surrounding areas of north Somerset , England. It was previously published as the Chew Valley Digest. The first issue of the Digest was published in April 1984 and the last issue was printed in January 1989, to be replaced by the Gazette, which published its first issue in February 1989. The paper's offices are in Chew Magna . It

182-415: A "town council". The majority of successor parishes, and a number of other small market towns now have town councils , with the power of parish councils but their chairmen are entitled to style themselves as " town mayor ". Similarly, a handful of parishes have been granted city status by letters patent : the council of such a parish is known as "city council" and the chairman is entitled to be known as

273-620: A building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cultural significance. The authority for listing is granted by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and is administered by English Heritage , an agency of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport . Grade I covers buildings of exceptional interest, Grade II* particularly important buildings of special interest and Grade II buildings of special interest. Listed buildings in

364-415: A geographical area known as a civil parish. The civil parishes were also grouped to form rural districts , which became the geographical areas of rural district councils. Civil geographical parishes continued to exist in urban districts, but did not have parish councils. Whilst the bulk of the rationalised activities went to district councils, parish councils took over a number of lesser powers including all

455-465: A mixed comprehensive school with 1,201 pupils on roll. The school is popular and oversubscribed with 226 students in the sixth form. The school has been successful in gaining a number of national and regional awards. There are state primary schools (4–11 years) in most of the local villages. The local villages have football pitches and children's play areas. Gymnasium facilities, squash courts, badminton etc., and outdoor all-weather pitches are available at

546-826: A music festival every year. Parish council (England) Parish councils receive the majority of their funding by levying a precept upon the council tax paid by the residents of the parish (or parishes) covered by the council. In 2021-22 the amount raised by precept was £616 million. Other funding may be obtained by local fund-raising or grants for specific activities. They can vary enormously in size, activities and circumstances; representing populations ranging from fewer than 100 (small rural hamlets) to up to 130,000 ( Northampton Town Council ). Most of them are small: around 80% represent populations of less than 2,500; Parish councils are made up of unpaid councillors who are elected to serve for four years: there are about 70,000 parish councillors country-wide. Not every civil parish has

637-507: A parish council has been able to alternatively style itself as a "village council", "neighbourhood council" or "community council". A provision of this Act is that is that civil parishes may now be established in the London boroughs. Since the enactment of the Local Government and Rating Act 1997 , district and unitary councils may create a parish council for a new civil parish either through

728-407: A parish council must be formed. Where there are between 151 and 999 electors the principal council may recommend the establishment of either a parish council or parish meeting. Where there are 150 electors or fewer a parish council may not be formed. Reviews come into effect on 1 April in the year following the date the reorganisation order is made. Where a new parish council is created, elections to

819-582: A parish council: smaller ones, typically those with fewer than 150 electors, often have parish meetings instead, which can fulfil many of the functions of a parish council. Alternatively, parishes with small populations may apply to be grouped together with one or more neighbouring parishes under a common parish council. Civil parish councils were formed in England under the reforming Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) to take over local oversight of civic duties in rural towns and villages from

910-455: A petition of local government electors for an area. A petition is deemed valid where it is signed by a sufficient proportion of the electorate (ranging from 50% in an area with fewer than 500 electors to 10% in one with more than 2,500). The sufficient proportion of the electorate necessary in areas with more than 2,500 electors was reduced from 10% to 7.5% under an amendment to the Act made in 2015. At

1001-590: A radical new power: to "do anything that individuals generally may do" as long as that is not limited by some other Act. This is known as the General Power of Competence (GPC), and is available to "eligible" parish councils. An eligible council is one which has resolved to adopt the GPC, with at least two-thirds of its members being declared elected, rather than co-opted, and the Clerk must hold an appropriate qualification. However

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1092-491: A review or in response to a petition. This has led to the creation of new parish councils at an increased rate, especially in large towns and cities which do not have a history of parish governance. Since 13 February 2008 the power to create new parishes and parish councils, to alter parish boundaries, to dissolve parish councils and to abolish parishes has been devolved to district , unitary and London Borough councils (collectively known as "principal councils"). This process

1183-571: A stricter definition are part of the Yeo Valley . The valley is an area of rich arable and dairy farmland , interspersed with a number of villages. The landscape consists of the valley of the River Chew and is generally low-lying and undulating. It is bounded by higher ground ranging from Dundry Down and the south western boundary of Keynsham town to the north, the Lulsgate Plateau to the west,

1274-641: A wide variety of small mammals with larger species including Eurasian badger and deer . The valley is home to fifteen of the sixteen bats found in England including a roost, at Compton Martin Ochre Mine, for greater horseshoe bats . A rare and endangered species, the greater horseshoe bat is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is listed in Annex II of the 1992 European Community Habitats Directive . Archaeological excavations carried out before

1365-404: Is a power awarded in 2012 to eligible councils, which further broadens the scope of activities that councils can be involved in. Parish councils may exercise powers to provide, maintain and manage certain facilities. There are large variations in the facilities provided by parish councils, but they can include any of the following: They may also provide the following, subject to the consent of

1456-616: Is an affluent area in North Somerset , England, named after the River Chew , which rises at Chewton Mendip , and joins the River Avon at Keynsham . Technically, the area of the valley is bounded by the water catchment area of the Chew and its tributaries; however, the name Chew Valley is often used less formally to cover other nearby areas, for example, Blagdon Lake and its environs, which by

1547-538: Is distributed free to local residents and available on subscription to others. It also publishes the annual Chew Valley Green Pages. In December 2011 the title was sold by Northcliffe Media , the owners of the Bristol Evening Post to the Tindle Newspaper Group . This English newspaper–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Chew Valley The Chew Valley

1638-485: Is four years, and councillors are elected by the block vote system, with voters having the same number of votes as seats on the council, in a secret ballot . Those candidates with the highest number of votes sufficient to fill the number of vacant seats are elected. The legislation provides that the number of elected members of a parish council shall not be less than five. Larger parishes may be divided into parish wards, with separate elections for each ward. The timing of

1729-553: Is generally under licences to local angling clubs. Chew Valley Sailing Club is situated on Chew Valley Lake and provides dinghy sailing at all levels and hosts national and international competitions. Swimming is not allowed in the lakes and there are no swimming pools in the valley; however these are available locally in Bristol, Bath, Cheddar and Midsomer Norton . Each October the Chew Valley Arts trail takes place in venues around

1820-630: Is in Chew Stoke, cricket pitches and teams in Chew Magna and Blagdon. There are football teams in the valley including Chew Valley Football Club and Bishop Sutton F.C. The rugby club is based next to the leisure centre. The Bishop Sutton Tennis club is the largest in the valley, and there are also tennis clubs at Pensford and East Harptree. Both Chew Valley Lake and Blagdon Lake provide extensive fishing under permit from Bristol Water. The River Chew and most of its tributaries also have fishing but this

1911-406: Is known as a "community governance review". Principal councils have the power to make a community governance review at any time for all or part of their district. It is envisaged that such reviews will occur at intervals of between 10 and 15 years, and will take into account population changes, the need for well-defined boundaries and the wishes of local inhabitants. Reviews may also be triggered by

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2002-402: Is not a quorum elected the district council must dissolve it and order fresh elections. Where there are more candidates than vacancies, a poll must be held. Undivided parishes, or multi-member parish wards, hold elections under the block vote system. If a vacancy occurs during the term of a parish council, it may be filled by either election or co-option. Elections only occur if, following

2093-423: Is taken. Where there are fewer candidates than vacant seats, the parish council has the power to coopt any person or persons to fill the vacancies. This power, however, may only be exercised if there is a quorum of councillors present and within 35 days of the election. If the parish council fails to fill the vacancies within this period, the district council may dissolve it and order fresh elections. If there

2184-490: Is the formal point of contact with the public, and a source of information for the public about the Council's activities. The necessary financial monitoring and reporting are the clerk's responsibility, and in this role the clerk is known as the "Responsible Financial Officer" (RFO) of the Council. The clerk also provides procedural guidance for the Council itself, and ensures that statutory and other provisions governing or affecting

2275-464: Is the role of the local planning authority to agree who should be the neighbourhood forum for the neighbourhood area. Neighbourhood forums and parish councils can use new neighbourhood planning powers to establish general planning policies for the development and use of land in a neighbourhood. These are described legally as "neighbourhood development plans". In an important change to the planning system, communities can use neighbourhood planning to permit

2366-417: The 2011 census the valley has a population of approximately 5,000, largely living in one of the dozen or so villages and in isolated farms and hamlets. The average age of the population is 42 years, with unemployment rates of 1–4% of all economically active people aged 16–74, however these figures are approximations because the ward areas covered and described in the census statistics do not relate exactly to

2457-604: The Carboniferous period , is found in the adjoining central band and dolomitic conglomerate of the Triassic period . There are two main soil types, both generally well-drained. The mudstones around the lakes give rise to fertile silty clay soils that are a dull dusky red colour because of their high iron content. The clay content means that where unimproved they easily become waterlogged when wet, and hard with cracks and fissures during dry periods. The main geological outcrops around

2548-683: The Mendip Hills to the south and the Hinton Blewett , Temple Cloud , Clutton and Marksbury plateau areas to the east. The valley's boundary generally follows the top of scarp slopes except at the southwestern and southeastern boundaries where flat upper areas of the Chew Valley grade gently into the Yeo Valley and eastern Mendip Hills respectively. The River Chew was dammed in the 1950s to create Chew Valley Lake , which provides drinking water for

2639-501: The county council , unitary authority or London borough council of the area in which they lie: Parish councils have the statutory right to be consulted by the local district, borough, county council or unitary authority on: Parish councils may also exercise the following powers: Under the Localism Act 2011 eligible parish councils can be granted a " general power of competence " (GPC) which allows them within certain limits

2730-488: The henge monument at Stanton Drew , long barrow at Chewton Mendip, and Fairy Toot tumulus at Nempnett Thrubwell . Maes Knoll fort , on Dundry Down in the northern reaches of the valley, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument that dates from the Iron Age; it later served as a terminus for the early medieval Wansdyke earthworks . There is evidence of Roman remains in particular a villa and burial pits. Artefacts from

2821-520: The vestry committee . Parish councils are generically referred to as "local councils" to distinguish them from " principal councils " (e.g. district councils , county councils , unitary authorities or London borough councils) and most are affiliated via County Associations to the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), which represents their interests at a national level. Their activities fall into three main categories: representing

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2912-543: The "city mayor". In England, there are currently eight parishes with city status, all places with long-established Anglican cathedrals: Chichester , Ely , Hereford , Lichfield , Ripon , Salisbury , Truro and Wells . Despite its name, the City of Durham Parish Council is not a city; Durham's city status is held by charter trustees . Following the enactment of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 ,

3003-452: The 1894 Act and subsequent legislation. Compared to higher tiers of English local government, parish councils have very few statutory duties (i.e. things they are required to do by law) but have a much more extensive range of discretionary powers which they may exercise voluntarily. For this reason, there are large variations in the activities of parish councils, depending on their size, resources and abilities. The "General Power of Competence"

3094-840: The Chew Valley Leisure Centre between Chew Magna and Chew Stoke. There are a range of clubs and societies for young and old, including Scout groups , gardening society, and the Women's institute . There are areas in the valley which the Countryside Agency has designated as access land: Burledge Hill (south of Bishop Sutton)( grid reference ST589590 ), Castle Earthworks (between Stowey and Bishop Sutton )( grid reference ST597592 ), Knowle Hill (Newtown south of Chew Magna)( grid reference ST583613 ), Round Hill (Folly Farm)( grid reference ST605608 ) and Shortwood Common (Litton) ( grid reference ST595553 ). A Bowls club

3185-469: The Clerk. The Clerk as the Proper Officer "enacts" (cause to happen) the decisions of the Council, and they receive official correspondence and issue correspondence on the instructions of the Council. The clerk also prepares agendas for meetings of the Council and its committees, gives notice of these to the Council members and the public, and records and publishes the minutes of these meetings. The Clerk

3276-410: The Council is managed by its Clerk, a paid employee appointed by the council, who acts in a combined statutory role of Proper Officer (secretary or chief executive) and Responsible Financial Officer (treasurer). They may be full-time or part-time, depending on the amount of council business, and large parish councils may require more than one official for these tasks, in which case they are a group led by

3367-451: The English ratepayers is between 28,000 and 29,000. Not only are we exposed to this multiplicity of authority and this confusion of rating power, but the qualification, tenure, and mode of election of members of these Authorities differ in different cases." The government chose the civil parish as the basic unit of local government in rural areas. Each parish council's area of responsibility was

3458-418: The GPC can allow councils to engage in a range of activities such as setting up a trading company or co-operative to operate commercial activities, such as lending or investing money, or running a local shop, post office or energy company. Or allow it to contribute towards the provision of a service by another authority. The central function of the Council, the making of local decisions and policy relevant to

3549-646: The Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . Most of the undeveloped area is within the Bristol/ Bath Green Belt . Many of the villages date back to the time of the Domesday Book and there is evidence of human occupation since the Stone Age . There are hundreds of listed buildings with the churches being Grade I listed. The main commercial centre is Chew Magna . There is no clear origin for

3640-414: The advertisement of the vacancy for 14 days, 10 electors send a written request to the returning officer. If no request is received, the parish council will be required to fill the vacancies by co-option. If vacancy occurs within 6 months of a scheduled election, then a by-election cannot be called, but the council has the power to co-opt. The nomination qualifications required of a candidate for co-option are

3731-622: The appearance of concrete. The northern boundary is formed by the sides of the Dundry Plateau where the most significant geological formation is the Inferior Oolite of the Jurassic period found on the higher ground around Maes Knoll . This overlays the Lower Lias Clay found on the adjoining slopes. The clays make a poor foundation and landslips are characteristic on the slopes. This area

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3822-474: The area around Stanton Drew have neutral to acid red loamy soils with slowly permeable subsoils. Soils to the eastern part of the area are slowly permeable clayey and fine silty soils. They are found on Carboniferous clay and shales typical of the Supra-Pennant Measures. They are frequently waterlogged where the topography dictates. They tend towards being acid and are brown to grey brown in colour. In

3913-509: The area of the valley. In the Indices of deprivation 2010 all of the areas within the valley were considered to be in the most affluent third in England. The villages tend to have been built at the points where it was possible to cross the rivers and streams. Chew Magna is the business centre with a range of shops, banks etc. Other villages have local shops, often combined with post offices. Most villages have pubs and village halls which provide

4004-424: The boundaries preserve the outlines of the earlier strip field system. Regional variations in field size and pattern do occur. For example, there is evidence of medieval clearance of woodland on the slopes around Nempnett Thrubwell , south of Bishop Sutton and west and south of Chelwood . Along with the rest of South West England , the Chew Valley has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than

4095-401: The chairman, and a quorum of the main council committee is at least one-third of the members, or three members, whichever is the greater. Every meeting is open to the public, who are encouraged to attend, except for those items where the Council formally resolves to exclude the public and press on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest. This would have to be due to

4186-622: The confidential nature of the business. This latter also applies to any subcommittee of the parish council. A Council can form committees with delegated powers for specific purposes; however these must adhere to the protocols for public attendance, minute-taking and notice of meetings that apply to the main Council. A committee may form sub-committees. A Council can also appoint advisory groups which are exempt from these constraints to give flexibility, but these have no delegated powers and cannot make financial decisions. Such groups may contain members who are not councillors. Public notice of meetings of

4277-552: The council and its committees must be given at least three clear days before and be displayed in a "noticeable place" in the Parish, giving time, date and venue. A summons to attend the meeting is also issued, specifying the agenda, to every member of the Council. Items not on the agenda cannot be formally debated or resolved. Items brought up by the attendance of the general public or in correspondence can be discussed, but formal resolutions on these must be deferred if they are not covered by

4368-404: The development they want to see - in full or in outline – without the need for planning applications. These are called "neighbourhood development orders". In 1974, the local government reforms allowed the creation of successor parish councils, to cover those areas formerly the responsibility of a municipal corporation. Such an area could be declared a "town", and the council would then be known as

4459-613: The eighteenth century the poet John Langhorne (1735–1779) became the curate at Blagdon around the time that Augustus Montague Toplady (1740–1778) was the priest. Geologist William Smith (1769–1839) moved to the valley in 1791 to make a valuation survey of the Sutton Court estate and later worked for the Somersetshire Coal Canal Company. John Sanger , the circus proprietor, was born in Chew Magna in 1816. William Rees-Mogg , former editor of The Times , took

4550-478: The election cycle is usually linked to that of the election of a district councillor for the ward containing the parish. Where the elections to a district council are delayed or cancelled (e.g due to its abolishment with the formation of a unitary council or a change from elections by thirds to the whole council), the term of a parish council may be extended to match the next elections to the new authority. A candidate must be at least 18 years old and at least one of

4641-790: The eleventh century. However, others agree with Ekwall's interpretation that it is derived from the Welsh cyw meaning "the young of an animal, or chicken", so that afon Cyw would have been "the river of the chickens". Other possible explanations suggest it comes from the Old English word ceo , 'fish gill'. The villages in the valley have their own parish councils which have responsibility for local issues. They also elect councillors to district councils e.g. Mendip and Somerset County Council or unitary authorities e.g. Bath and North East Somerset or North Somerset , which have wider responsibilities for services such as education, refuse and tourism. Each of

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4732-435: The end of the review process, which must be completed within 12 months, the principal council is empowered to issue a reorganisation order setting out the changes. This order may: In order to abolish an existing parish council, the principal council must provide evidence that this in response to "justified, clear and sustained local support" from the area's inhabitants. Where a new parish is formed with 1,000 electors or more,

4823-445: The existing agenda to the next meeting so that due notice can be given. It is common practice to have a "public participation" item at the beginning of the agenda so that the public knows the time when this will occur. The minutes of the meeting are taken by the clerk, and are ratified at the next meeting of the council. They must also be displayed in a noticeable place in the parish, and for many councils, they are now also displayed on

4914-544: The fifteenth or sixteenth century. The area around Pensford was an important coal mining area during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when it formed part of the Somerset Coalfield , although there are no working coal mines today. The line of the now disused Bristol and North Somerset Railway runs south from Bristol crossing over the River Chew on the surviving distinctive Pensford Viaduct and on to Midsomer Norton . The area suffered serious flooding during

5005-405: The flooding of Chew Valley Lake found evidence of people belonging to the consecutive periods known as Upper Palaeolithic , Mesolithic and Neolithic (Old, Middle and New Stone Age ), Bronze Age and Iron Age , comprising implements such as stone knives, flint blades and the head of a mace , along with buildings and graves. Other evidence of occupation from prehistoric times is provided by

5096-482: The following: and candidates must state on their consent for nomination form their qualification for election, which must be at least one of the following: The chairman of the previous council shall remain in office, even if not elected to the newly constituted council, until a new chairman is appointed at the first meeting of the new council. Where there are an equal number or fewer candidates than there are vacancies, all candidates are elected unopposed, and no poll

5187-529: The freedom to do anything an individual can do provided it is not prohibited by other legislation, as opposed to being limited to the powers explicitly granted to them by law. To be eligible for this a parish council must meet certain conditions, such as at least two-thirds of the councillors being elected as opposed to being co-opted or appointed, and having a clerk with suitable qualifications. However, such activities cannot use precept funding, and specific funding must be obtained from other sources. In principle

5278-519: The internet. Procedures for the conduct of meetings are set out in Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972, and where this is not overridden by legislation, by the standing orders of the Council. Most adopt the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) model standing orders. Councillors are expected to adhere to the "Nolan principles" of conduct in public life The administration of

5369-471: The lake are mudstone, largely consisting of red Siltstone resulting in the underlying characteristic of the gently rolling valley landscape. Bands of Sandstone of the Triassic period contribute to the undulating character of the area. There are also more recent alluvial deposits beside the course of the River Chew . The transition between the gently sloping landscape of the Upper Chew and Yeo Valleys and

5460-467: The large number of bodies which existed for a variety of activities such as public health, secular burials, water supply and drainage. It also finally removed secular duties from the local vestry committees and gave them to the new parish councils. An idea of the scope of this huge re-organisation can be gained from the words of H H Fowler , President of the Local Government Board, who said in

5551-513: The lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west. Many of the large houses in the valley were built or bought by wealthy merchants from Bristol and Bath who employed local people in their households. Bess of Hardwick (1527–1606) is known to have lived in Sutton Court , Stowey , for a few years in the sixteenth century when, after the death of her first husband Sir William Cavendish , she married Sir William St. Loe , who

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5642-436: The local community, delivering services to meet local needs, and improving quality of life and community well being. Parish councils have the power to tax their residents to support their operations and to carry out local projects, and this is done through the council tax system. Although there is no limit to the amount that can be raised, the money can only be raised for a limited number of purposes, listed below, as defined in

5733-424: The majority of the social activity. The traditional building material is white Lias Limestone , sometimes incorporating red sandstone or conglomerate, with red clay tiled roofs. Buildings, particularly the churches, date back hundreds of years, for example those at Marksbury and Compton Martin , the latter incorporating a columbarium . There are hundreds of listed buildings in the valley. Listing refers to

5824-582: The name "Chew", found scarcely anywhere else; however, there have been differing explanations of the etymology , including "winding water", the 'ew' being a variant of the French eau , meaning water. The word chewer is a western dialect for a narrow passage, and chare is Old English for turning. One explanation is that the name Chew began in Normandy as Cheux , and came to England with the Norman Conquest during

5915-404: The nearby city of Bristol and surrounding areas. The lake is a prominent landscape feature of the valley, a focus for recreation, and is internationally recognised for its nature conservation interest, because of the bird species, plants and insects. The area falls into the domains of councils including Bath and North East Somerset , North Somerset and Mendip . Part of the area falls within

6006-506: The open landscape of the Mendip Hills plateau is a scarp slope of 75 to 235 metres (250–770 ft). The predominant formation is Dolomitic Conglomerate of the Triassic period. It formed as a result of desert erosion and weathering of the scarp slopes. It takes the form of rock fragments mainly derived from older Carboniferous Limestone cemented together by lime and sand which hardened to give

6097-479: The original proposal to grant a general power of competence to councils was not carried through, and the doctrine of ultra vires remained. This meant that parish councils could not do anything outside their statutory powers. It was not until the Localism Act 2011 that parish councils were freed of the constraints of ultra vires which had limited the activities of parish councils to only those things for which they had been given statutory powers. They were given

6188-443: The parish council was retained as the "grass roots" tier of local democracy for rural areas. In addition, many small towns which had previously formed municipal boroughs or urban districts became " successor parishes " within larger districts . The Act also recognised the role of parish councils in development planning in their parish, and gave them the right to be informed and consulted on applications for such development. However,

6279-399: The parliamentary debate for the 1894 Act: "62 counties, 302 Municipal Boroughs, 31 Improvement Act Districts, 688 Local Government Districts, 574 Rural Sanitary Districts, 58 Port Sanitary Districts, 2,302 School Board Districts ... 1,052 Burial Board Districts, 648 Poor Law Unions, 13,775 Ecclesiastical Parishes, and nearly 15,000 Civil Parishes. The total number of Authorities which tax

6370-562: The precept may not be raised specifically for activities which rely only on the power of the GPC, and such funding must be obtained from other sources. The Localism Act also introduced new rights and powers to allow local communities to shape new development by coming together to prepare neighbourhood plans. Neighbourhood planning can be taken forward by two types of body: town and parish councils or "neighbourhood forums". Neighbourhood forums are community groups that are designated to take forward neighbourhood planning in areas without parishes. It

6461-466: The public interest of the parish, is performed at the meetings of the Council. A parish council must hold an annual meeting and at least three other meetings in a year; however, monthly meetings are the most common, and some larger councils have fortnightly meetings. An extraordinary meeting may be called at any time by the chairman or members, but due notice must be given. A parish council consists of no fewer than five elected parish councillors, including

6552-467: The rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which is when they are most active. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have

6643-505: The rest of the country. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom because of the adjacent sea temperatures. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In

6734-562: The running of the Council are observed. Clerks are encouraged to have a formal qualification, such as the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA). A councillor cannot become the paid clerk of their council, due to conflict of interest, but they can be appointed on an unpaid basis; preferably temporarily. A councillor cannot become a paid clerk until 12 months after leaving office. The cycle of parish council elections

6825-564: The same as for those for election. If the number of vacancies on the parish council is such that there is no longer a quorum, the district council may temporarily appoint persons to bring the council up to strength in the interval prior to an election. Civil parish councils were formed in England under the reforming Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) to take over local oversight of civic duties in rural towns and villages . The act created two new types of local authority, parish councils and district councils , to rationalise

6916-587: The secular activities of the parish Vestry committee; a system of local government based on ecclesiastical parishes that originated in the feudal system . Two principal Acts of Parliament have increased the general powers of parish councils, and removed onerous constraints. The Redcliffe-Maud Report led to the Local Government Act 1972 , which dramatically re-organised local government with amalgamation of district councils, large-scale changes to county boundaries and creation of metropolitan areas. However,

7007-671: The south and south east of the area there are coal measures which are sufficiently near the surface for coal mining to have taken place around Clutton and High Littleton . In the eastern area of the valley as the River Chew flows through Publow , Woollard and Compton Dando before joining the River Avon at Keynsham there are alluvial deposits of clay soils. The valley has several areas designated as Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for biological interest, including Blagdon Lake , Burledge Hill , Chew Valley Lake , Compton Martin Ochre Mine , Harptree Combe and two sites at Folly Farm . The small and medium-sized fields of

7098-457: The storm of 10 July 1968, prompting localised evacuation of populated valley areas in the lower parts of the valley, around Pensford and Keynsham. The small fields in the western part of the area are particularly characteristic of the Chew Valley and date back to the most evident period of enclosure of earlier open fields which took place in the late medieval period. Fields of this category are generally small in size, regular in outline and often

7189-475: The summer the Azores high pressure affects the south-west of England, however convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. In December 1998 there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection . Most of

7280-602: The surrounding landscape. Wildlife abounds in the valley, particularly the water birds around the rivers and lakes, with Chew Valley Lake considered the third most important site in Britain for wintering wildfowl. In addition to the water birds including ducks , northern shoveler , gadwall and great crested grebes , a wide variety of other bird species can be seen. These range from small birds such as great tits and wrens to mistle thrush . Larger birds include great spotted woodpeckers and common buzzard . The valley also has

7371-541: The title Baron Rees-Mogg of Hinton Blewett in 1988. Jazz clarinettist Acker Bilk lived in Pensford. Dr Phil Hammond and wildlife television producer Richard Brock also live in the valley. In the past part of the population worked in coal mining, although there are no working mines in the area now. There is still a fairly large agricultural workforce and in light industry or service industries, although many people commute to surrounding cities for work. According to

7462-584: The valley are generally bounded by hedges and occasionally by tree belts and woodland, some of which date back to the most evident period of enclosure of earlier open fields which took place in the late medieval period. Hedgerows support the nationally rare Bithynian vetch ( Vicia bithynica ). Mature oak ( Quercus ) and ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ) trees are characteristic of the area with occasional groups of scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris ) and chestnuts ( Castanea sativa ). Elm ( Ulmus ) trees have been lost in this area, and dead/dying elms are also evident in

7553-414: The valley during which over 50 local artists display their works in such media as painting, printmaking , sculpture, decorative glass , pottery , photography, jewellery and sugar craft. The valley and lakes have been an inspiration to artists and there is a small art gallery at Chew Valley Lake. Live music and comedy events take place in local pubs and village halls, with the village of Pensford holding

7644-758: The valley include five churches dating back to the fourteenth century or even earlier, with grade I status: Church of St Andrew, Chew Magna , Church of St Bartholomew, Ubley , Church of St James, Cameley , Church of St Margaret, Hinton Blewett and the Church of St Michael the Archangel, Compton Martin . Trains serve Keynsham railway station on the Great Western Main Line and Wessex Main Line with services provided by Great Western Railway and South Western Railway . Buses also connect with Bristol Temple Meads . At

7735-575: The valley is the Supra-Pennant Measures of the Carboniferous period. It is a significant feature towards the north-eastern part of the area and is represented by the Pensford Syncline coal basin, which formed part of the Somerset coalfield . It is a complex formation containing coal seams and is made up of clay and shales. The landscape is typically undulating and includes outcrops of sandstone. Most of

7826-533: The valley were sent to the British Museum . Other Roman artefacts from the lake are on display at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery . The Chew Valley Hoard consists of coins from the 11th century. There are historic parks and mansion houses, including Stanton Drew , Hunstrete , Stowey House , Chew Court , Chew Magna Manor House and Sutton Court . Almost all of the villages have churches dating back to

7917-562: The valley. The nearest mainline railway station for most of the valley is Bristol Temple Meads . Cyclists can gain access via part of the Padstow to Bristol West Country Way, National Cycle Network Route 3. The Monarch's Way long-distance footpath crosses the valley. Chew Valley School is the main secondary school (11–18 years) for the valley. It is situated between Chew Magna and Chew Stoke . The latest (2011) Ofsted Inspection Report describes this specialist Performing Arts College as

8008-470: The villages is also part of a constituency, either North East Somerset and Hanham or North Somerset . Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides police services to the area. The western end of the area (around Nempnett Thrubwell ) consists of the Harptree Beds which incorporate silicified clay , shale and Lias Limestone . Clifton Down Limestone , which includes calcite and dolomitic mudstones of

8099-547: The western end of the valley is the A38 and Bristol Airport , which means parts of the valley are on the flight path. The valley is also crossed by the A37 and they are joined by the A368 . Most of the roads in the valley are small single track lanes with little traffic although a bottleneck often occurs within Chew Magna. The "Chew Valley Explorer" bus route 672/674 provided access to the villages in

8190-512: Was Chief Butler of England and captain of the guard to Queen Elizabeth , and owned several manors within the valley and surrounding areas. Around this period a close neighbour was Sir John Popham (1533–1607) who was a judge and the Speaker of Parliament . In the seventeenth century the eminent philosopher John Locke (1632–1704) lived in Belluton ; his house is still known as John Locke's cottage. In

8281-596: Was once connected to the Cotswolds. The intervening land has subsequently been eroded leaving this outlier with the characteristics of the Cotswold Plateau. The unusual geological features have been recognised as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for their geological interest including Barns Batch Spinney , Hartcliff Rocks Quarry and Dundry Main Road South Quarry . The oldest geological formation in

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