The West of England may be facing a revival of the long-defunct County of Avon, a county dissolved nearly three decades ago amid widespread unpopularity. Created in 1974 and abolished in 1996, Avon was a county centered on Bristol that merged parts of Somerset and Gloucestershire, only to be dismantled after local opposition. Today, memories of the “bad old days of Avon” linger among seasoned councillors who recall it as a forced and unpopular centralization.
Though Avon ceased to exist in 1996 and its former county hall was demolished in 2025, recent government-led local government reforms could reassemble its territory under a different form. Labour’s devolution agenda encourages the establishment of combined authorities led by elected mayors, replacing traditional county and district structures with unitary councils collaborating under mayoral governance.
Currently, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), created in 2017, includes Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset, each governed by a mayor. North Somerset has so far resisted joining, fearing it would mean a return to the old Avon dynamic. However, the government now wants all unitary authorities to be part of combined authorities, and in September 2025, North Somerset Council agreed to explore joining WECA, initiating a consultation process.
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The proposal faced sharp criticism from some councillors who equate joining WECA with resurrecting Avon. Independent councillor David Shopland stated, “Having fought to destroy Avon Council, I oppose forming a Greater Bristol authority.” Conservative councillors echoed concerns that the region would be dominated by Bristol-centric interests, something they equate with the old Avon county’s flaws.
Despite these objections, North Somerset’s council leader Mike Bell emphasized the inevitability of devolution and advocated engagement to shape the arrangement in the council’s favor. The West of England Combined Authority differs significantly from the former Avon County Council: it is led by a single elected mayor rather than a council of 76 representatives, and focuses primarily on strategic decisions around transport and investment rather than delivering local services.
North Somerset has already participated in joint projects with WECA, such as bus service improvements and railway restoration, and has an observer role at authority meetings. Expanding WECA to include North Somerset would realign borders reminiscent of the former Avon but could also extend further if Gloucestershire’s councils join, balancing Bristol’s influence with a larger, more populous stakeholder.
The process for North Somerset to join is expected to take about a year, involving public consultation, council votes, and Parliamentary approval, ideally concluding before the mayoral elections in 2029. Meanwhile, residents of North Somerset could find themselves temporarily represented by a mayor they did not elect — currently Helen Godwin, elected in 2024 with just 25% of the vote — an arrangement that may raise political concerns.
While the specter of Avon’s revival fuels resistance, evolving governance structures and government priorities may soon make some form of regional combined authority a reality, reshaping local politics and identity once again in the West of England.