Editing Somerset (section)

=== Green belt ===
{{main|Avon Green Belt}}
The county contains several-miles-wide sections of the Avon [[green belt]] area, which is primarily in place to prevent [[urban sprawl]] from the [[Bristol Built-up Area|Bristol]] and Bath built up areas encroaching into the rural areas of North Somerset,<ref>{{cite web|title=North Somerset Futures Local Development Framework - North Somerset Green Belt Assessment - South West of Bristol|url=https://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/SD-50-green-belt-assessment-South-West-of-Bristol.pdf|website=www.n-somerset.gov.uk|access-date=12 January 2018|archive-date=13 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113093244/https://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/SD-50-green-belt-assessment-South-West-of-Bristol.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Bath and North East Somerset,<ref>{{cite web|title=Bath & North East Somerset Green Belt Review|url=http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/sitedocuments/Planning-and-Building-Control/Planning-Policy/Evidence-Base/Environment/gbr_stage1_report.pdf|website=www.bathnes.gov.uk|access-date=12 January 2018|archive-date=18 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918163736/http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/sitedocuments/Planning-and-Building-Control/Planning-Policy/Evidence-Base/Environment/gbr_stage1_report.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> and Mendip<ref>{{cite web|title=Protecting and Enhancing Environmental Assets|url=http://www.mendip.gov.uk/localplan2002/HTML%20Statement/html_statment/09_protecting_enhancing_7.html|website=www.mendip.gov.uk|access-date=12 January 2018|archive-date=13 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113093208/http://www.mendip.gov.uk/localplan2002/HTML%20Statement/html_statment/09_protecting_enhancing_7.html|url-status=live}}</ref> districts in the county, as well as maintaining surrounding countryside. It stretches from the coastline between the towns of [[Portishead, Somerset|Portishead]] and [[Clevedon]], extending eastwards past [[Nailsea]], around the Bristol conurbation, and through to the city of Bath. The green belt border intersects with the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) along its south boundary, and meets the Cotswolds AONB by its eastern extent along the Wiltshire county border, creating an extended area protected from inappropriate development.