South Gloucestershire

A unitary authority located in South West England. It covers an area of 192 square miles and has a population of around 246,000. It is geographically and historically part of Gloucestershire.

Industry

South Gloucestershire is a major transport hub for the West of England where the M4 and M5 motorways meet. Aerospace industries dominate the area. A notable business park is Aztec West, which is adjacent to the M5/A38 and M4/M5 interchanges.

Geography

A small part of the Cotswolds and the National Trust site of Dyrham Park are in the district. The district borders the City and County of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The River Severn forms the north-western boundary of the area, with a wide coastal plain terminated by the Severn Escarpment. To the east is the wide River Frome Valley. Further east is an escarpment running roughly north-south, between Yate and Chipping Sodbury and west of Pucklechurch. The Cotswolds Escarpment forms the eastern edge of South Gloucestershire. South of the motorways are suburbs of Bristol while areas north are rural areas. Some of the inner green belt has been taken away by industrial and housing developments in recent years.

History

The district was created in 1996, when the county of Avon was abolished.