Freshford - Governance

Governance

Freshford shares its parish council with Sharpstone and the surrounding hamlets. The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council’s operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, such as the village hall or community centre, playing fields and playgrounds, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also of interest to the council.

The village is part of the ward of Bathavon South in the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset. The ward is currently represented by Councillor Neil Butters, a member of the Liberal Democrats. Bath and North East Somerset was created in 1996, as established by the Local Government Act 1992. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. The authority's administrative headquarters are in Bath. Between 1 April 1974 and 1 April 1996, it was the Wansdyke district and the City of Bath of the county of Avon, with Freshford lying in Wansdyke. Before 1974 the parish was part of the Bathavon Rural District.

It is also part of the North East Somerset parliamentary constituency, and part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.