Severnside
Encyclopedia
The geographical term Severnside refers to an area adjoining or straddling the River Severn
or its estuary
in the United Kingdom
.
The term is used by different organisations, in different contexts, to refer to quite different areas. The Severn passes through both England
and Wales
, in some places forming the boundary between the two. Some uses of "Severnside" relate to areas on both sides of the river, and others only to one or other side.
and the Welsh Office
addressed the possibility of substantial development and new infrastructure in the Bristol
area, south east Wales and Gloucestershire
.
The Standing Conference on Severnside Local Authorities (SCOSLA) was formed in 1982 by a number of local councils in England and Wales with a shared interest in proposals for a Severn barrage
, and in other matters relating to the Severn estuary
as a whole.
The term "Severnside Derby
" is sometimes given to football
matches between Cardiff City F.C.
(in Wales) and Bristol City F.C.
(in England).
of Somerset
and Gloucestershire
, the term "Severnside" is sometimes used for that area. It often refers to the area administered by Avon County Council
between 1974 and 1996, which some organisations now refer to as "The West of England" and others as "Greater Bristol
". The Avon Valuation Tribunal was renamed the Severnside Valuation Tribunal in 1996. The Severnside Community Rail Partnership is a not-for-profit company established to help improve rail services in the Bristol area.
The term is also sometimes used more specifically to refer to the partly undeveloped area north west of Bristol, between Chittening
and Severn Beach
, where Imperial Chemical Industries
built a large chemical plant in the 1960s, known as ICI Severnside. Various proposals for the development of industry, business parks, housing, and/or a sports stadium have been made for this area in the past. The Severnside beat of Avon and Somerset Police
covers broadly this area, but also extends to the Cribbs Causeway
retail and business area adjoining the M5 motorway
. A number of voluntary groups in the Severn Beach area also use the term to describe their area of coverage.
In Gloucester
, the Severnside Project is an environmental improvement scheme covering the river within the city and immediately adjoining areas.
In Shropshire
, Severnside Housing is a social housing company which operates the former council housing stock in the former borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham
.
and Magor
. The Severnside Forum is a multi-organisation forum for the same area. The Severnside neighbourhood policing team of Gwent Police
also covers a similar area.
Abandoned proposals for a "Severnside International Airport" related to an area reclaimed from the estuary close to the Caldicot Levels
east of Newport
.
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
or its estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The term is used by different organisations, in different contexts, to refer to quite different areas. The Severn passes through both England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, in some places forming the boundary between the two. Some uses of "Severnside" relate to areas on both sides of the river, and others only to one or other side.
Use of the term to cover both sides of the estuary
The term has sometimes been used in attempts to coordinate planning and environmental policy across both English and Welsh sides of the estuary. In 1971, Severnside: A Feasibility Study prepared for the UK Department of the EnvironmentSecretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
and the Welsh Office
Welsh Office
The Welsh Office was a department in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Wales. It was established in April 1965 to execute government policy in Wales, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Wales, a post which had been created in October 1964...
addressed the possibility of substantial development and new infrastructure in the Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
area, south east Wales and Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
The Standing Conference on Severnside Local Authorities (SCOSLA) was formed in 1982 by a number of local councils in England and Wales with a shared interest in proposals for a Severn barrage
Severn Barrage
The Severn Barrage refers to a range of ideas for building a barrage from the English coast to the Welsh coast over the Severn tidal estuary. Ideas for damming or barraging the Severn estuary have existed since the 19th century. The building of such a barrage would be a huge engineering feat,...
, and in other matters relating to the Severn estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
as a whole.
The term "Severnside Derby
Severnside Derby
The Severnside derby is a local derby in football in the United Kingdom between Welsh club Cardiff City F.C. and English club Bristol City F.C..The term Severnside derby can also be given to a match between Cardiff City F.C...
" is sometimes given to football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
matches between Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
(in Wales) and Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
(in England).
Use of the term within England
Because there is no consensus over the term which best describes the economic sub-region centred on Bristol and which extends into the historic countiesHistoric counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, the term "Severnside" is sometimes used for that area. It often refers to the area administered by Avon County Council
Avon (county)
Avon was, from 1974 to 1996, a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in the west of England.The county was named after the River Avon, which runs through the area. It was formed from parts of the historic counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset, together with the City of Bristol...
between 1974 and 1996, which some organisations now refer to as "The West of England" and others as "Greater Bristol
Greater Bristol
Greater Bristol is a term used for the conurbation which contains and surrounds the city of Bristol in the South West of England. There is no official "Greater Bristol" authority, but the term is sometimes used by local, regional and national authorities, and others as a synonym for either the...
". The Avon Valuation Tribunal was renamed the Severnside Valuation Tribunal in 1996. The Severnside Community Rail Partnership is a not-for-profit company established to help improve rail services in the Bristol area.
The term is also sometimes used more specifically to refer to the partly undeveloped area north west of Bristol, between Chittening
Chittening
Chittening is an industrial estate 2 miles north of Avonmouth, Bristol, England on the A403 road, near the River Severn. It lies within the Bristol city boundary.- History :Chittening was once a farm, historically in the parish of Henbury...
and Severn Beach
Severn Beach
Severn Beach is a village on the mouth of the river Severn in South Gloucestershire, England. A riverside footpath, which is part of the Severn Way, leads beneath the Second Severn Crossing bridge...
, where Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
built a large chemical plant in the 1960s, known as ICI Severnside. Various proposals for the development of industry, business parks, housing, and/or a sports stadium have been made for this area in the past. The Severnside beat of Avon and Somerset Police
Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the territorial police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset, the city & county of Bristol and the unitary authorities of South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset; before 1996 these districts...
covers broadly this area, but also extends to the Cribbs Causeway
Cribbs Causeway
Cribbs Causeway is a road in South Gloucestershire, England, just north of Bristol, which has given its name to a large out-of-town shopping centre, including retail parks and an enclosed shopping centre known as The Mall...
retail and business area adjoining the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
. A number of voluntary groups in the Severn Beach area also use the term to describe their area of coverage.
In Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, the Severnside Project is an environmental improvement scheme covering the river within the city and immediately adjoining areas.
In Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, Severnside Housing is a social housing company which operates the former council housing stock in the former borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham
Shrewsbury and Atcham
Shrewsbury and Atcham was, between 1974 and 2009, a local government district with borough status in Shropshire, England.Shrewsbury was the only town in the borough; Atcham, although itself only a village, was included in the name as a reflection of the incorporation into the borough of the former...
.
Use of the term within Wales
Monmouthshire County Council administers four area committees, including one for "Severnside" which covers the area around CaldicotCaldicot, Monmouthshire
Caldicot is a small town in Monmouthshire, southeast Wales, located between Chepstow and Newport, just off the busy M4 / M48 motorway corridor. The site adjoins the Caldicot Levels, on the north side of the Severn estuary. Caldicot has easy access by motorway and rail to Cardiff, and across the...
and Magor
Magor, Monmouthshire
Magor - meaning 'a wall' - is a large village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, between Chepstow and the city of Newport, and adjoining the Caldicot Levels beside the Severn estuary. Magor lies close to the M4 motorway, which has a nearby motorway service area sharing its name...
. The Severnside Forum is a multi-organisation forum for the same area. The Severnside neighbourhood policing team of Gwent Police
Gwent Police
Gwent Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the local authority areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen in southeast Wales....
also covers a similar area.
Abandoned proposals for a "Severnside International Airport" related to an area reclaimed from the estuary close to the Caldicot Levels
Caldicot and Wentloog Levels
The Caldicot and Wentloog Levels are two areas of low-lying estuarine alluvial wetland and intertidal mudflats adjoining the north bank of the Severn estuary, either side of the River Usk estuary near Newport in south east Wales...
east of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
.