Welcome to Portishead Town Council's website

Welcome to the Portishead Town Council website.

As a forward thinking council we understand the importance of a good town website where you can find not only details about our services, but also a wealth of information about Portishead in general.

The town council is committed to protecting the quality of life, environment and economic well-being of the Portishead community. 

Portishead is currently producing its Neighbourhood Plan which will shape the development of our town over the next ten years . The plan is produced by the community not the Council and your views and input are essential so please get involved. For further details and to participate please go to the Portishead Neighbourhood Plan website at https://www.portisheadplan.uk/

Portishead is a vibrant North Somerset town that combines a rich historic past with modern-day culture. Situated within the Gordano Valley, the town boasts both a coastal and countryside setting, providing magnificent views of the Severn Estuary and the Welsh coastline, gently rolling hills, green open spaces and extensive woodland.

It is this beautiful setting, along with easy motorway access, close proximity to the City of Bristol and Bristol International Airport, highly rated schools and a very special community spirit, that makes this town an extremely popular place in which to live.

The Victorian High Street provides Portishead’s main shopping area and is home to a variety of shops, cafes, offices and bars. Other shopping areas in the town include West Hill, Wyndham Way and Harbour Road.

Many of the streets in the heart of Portishead are lined with flower beds, troughs and baskets filled with plants which are maintained by the volunteer group Portishead in Bloom. Thanks to this voluntary group, Portishead has maintained a South West in Bloom gold status for the past nine years and has also been awarded gold in the national Britain in Bloom contest.

Portishead’s seafront promenade leads to Portishead Point, known locally as Battery Point, on which stands a landmark navigation light. The original Battery Point bell, used in the lighthouse to warn sailors of treacherous conditions, now sits proudly on Wyndham Way as a symbol of Portishead’s history.  Ships pass closer to the land at Battery Point than anywhere else on the UK coastline.

Portishead should, in the near future, have renewed rail links to Bristol. The Portishead to Bristol railway line closed to passenger traffic in 1964 and to freight in 1981. After a long campaign by members of the local community, the line is now scheduled to re-open late in 2023 as a key part of the MetroWest project, which will link and upgrade the railway system in the Bristol area.

By clicking on the relevant sections on this website you can explore Portishead further, you can discover more about the facilities available to residents and visitors alike and read the latest town council news. The responsibilities of your town council are outlined on the site, you can see who your local town councillors are and read the minutes of council meetings.

This site also provides information to help you get in touch with North Somerset Council, the unitary authority that deals with the matters outside the remit of the town council.