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Town Hall & politics · North Somerset Council

No party holds a majority on North Somerset Council

Locking is run by North Somerset Council, with Locking parish council for local matters. No party holds a majority on North Somerset Council. Its MP is Dan Aldridge (Labour), member for Weston-super-Mare.

Council tax 2026–27

£2,457

Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.

Where it goes →
Band D council tax
£2,457
2026–27, a year
Ward councillors
2
1 ward · North Somerset
MP
Dan Aldridge
Labour · Weston-super-Mare
Turnout, July 2024
59%
Weston-super-Mare · England 60%
What stands out · In brief

How Locking’s politics has changed since 2021

No majority on North Somerset Council

The Conservatives, the largest group, hold 13 of its 50 seats as elected, 13 short of the 26 needed. Labour holds 10, the Liberal Democrats 9, the Greens 8, independents 6, Portishead Independents 3 and Reform UK 1. Who’s in charge ↓

Council tax

A Band D bill in Locking is £2,457 for 2026–27; North Somerset Council keeps 80% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 65% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓

Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.

Who’s in charge

No party has a majority

Seats by party as elected. A party needs 26 of North Somerset’s 50 seats to run the council alone.

Unitary council · 50 councillorsNorth Somerset CouncilNo overall control
GreenGreenGreenGreenGreenGreenGreenGreenLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeReform UKPortishead IndependentsPortishead IndependentsPortishead Independents50seats
  • Conservative13
  • Labour10
  • Liberal Democrat9
  • Green8
  • Independent6
  • Portishead Independents3
  • Reform UK1

Latest election: May 2023.

GreenLabourLiberal DemocratIndependentConservativeReform UKOther parties

Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.

Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.

Who runs Locking

The councils that run Locking

One council runs every main service here.

Town or parish councilLocking parish council

Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.

100% of Locking’s residents · Band D precept £99

Unitary councilNorth Somerset Council

Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.

Website ↗

Who to ask

Bins and recyclingNorth Somerset Council
Planning applicationsNorth Somerset Council
Council housing and homelessnessNorth Somerset Council
Council tax billsNorth Somerset Council
Parks and leisure centresNorth Somerset Council
Allotments, play areas, benchesLocking parish council
Potholes, roads and streetlightsNorth Somerset Council
Schools and school placesNorth Somerset Council
Adult and children’s social careNorth Somerset Council
LibrariesNorth Somerset Council
Tips and recycling centresNorth Somerset Council
Police priorities and budgetAvon and Somerset Constabulary police and crime commissioner
Fire safety visitsAvon Fire and Rescue

From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.

Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.

Who represents Locking

From the parish to Westminster

Every elected tier that speaks for Locking, from the most recent elections.

  1. 1
    Town or parishParish tier
    Locking parish council
  2. 2
    North Somerset Council1 ward · 2 councillors
    Will JonesTerry PorterMike Solomon
  3. 3
    Police and crime commissionerAvon and Somerset Constabulary · elected May 2024
    Clare Moody
  4. 4
    House of CommonsWeston-super-Mare
LabourConservativeReform UKIndependent

Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.

Councillors

2 councillors for 1 ward

Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.

Hutton & Locking
3,819 residents · 49% in Locking
  • Will JonesReform UK · September 2026 · by-election
  • Terry PorterConservative · May 2023
  • Mike SolomonIndependent · May 2023
ConservativeReform UKIndependent
Show as a table
WardSeatsElectedWhen
Hutton & Locking49% in Locking · 3,819 residents2 seats · September 2026, May 20232
Will Jonesby-electionTerry PorterMike Solomon
September 2026, May 2023

Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. North Somerset Council’s website lists who sits now.

Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).

Local elections

North Somerset council election, May 2023

Results in the wards that make up Locking, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.

Seats won in Locking’s wards2 seats · 4 May 2023
Conservative1
Independent1

1 ward voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.

Next elections

No election is scheduled yet for Locking’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.

Who can I vote for? ↗
Hutton & Locking4 May 2023
Terry Porter ElectedConservative28.2%
Mike Solomon ElectedIndependent21.2%
Georgina BarryLiberal Democrat15.2%
Timothy James TaylorLabour12.7%
Lucas John WheatleyLabour11.7%
Elfan Dyfed Ap ReesIndependent11.1%

2,961 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each

LabourConservativeLiberal DemocratIndependent

Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.

Parliament

Locking is in Weston-super-Mare constituency

The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Locking).

Weston-super-Mare · general election4 July 2024
Daniel Aldridge ElectedLabour38.5%
John PenroseConservative28.1%
Richard PearseReform UK18.2%
Patrick KeatingLiberal Democrat8.9%
Thomas DawGreen6.3%

42,390 votes for candidates · majority 4,409

MP for Weston-super-Mare

Dan Aldridge

Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.

59%

turnout in July 2024: 42,390 votes from 71,396 registered voters. England: 60%.

Majority 4,409 of 42,390 votes (10.4%): the 195th-narrowest of 543 in England.

LabourConservativeLiberal DemocratReform UKGreen

MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.

Council money

Locking’s Band D council tax is £2,457 a year

Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.

COUNCIL TAXBand D · 2026–27 · a Band D home in Locking
Locking parish councilparish precept£98.61
North Somerset Councilcouncil£1,955.01
Avon & Somerset police and crime commissionerpolice and crime£308.20
Avon Fire and Rescue Authorityfire and rescue£95.43
A year£2,457.25
Bills by band run from 6/9 of Band D (Band A) to 18/9 (Band H). Discounts and support reduce many bills.

North Somerset Council keeps £1,955.01 of a Band D bill (80%); the rest goes to the Locking parish council, the Avon & Somerset police and crime commissioner and the Avon Fire and Rescue Authority.

Band D since 1993

£0£500£1K£1.5K£2K£2.5K1995200020052010201520202025England, 1993–94: £567.95England, 1994–95: £580.11England, 1995–96: £609.00England, 1996–97: £646.00England, 1997–98: £688.00England, 1998–99: £747.00England, 1999–00: £798.00England, 2000–01: £847.00England, 2001–02: £901.33England, 2002–03: £975.56England, 2003–04: £1,101.75England, 2004–05: £1,166.56England, 2005–06: £1,213.81England, 2006–07: £1,267.91England, 2007–08: £1,321.32England, 2008–09: £1,373.08England, 2009–10: £1,413.84England, 2010–11: £1,439.22England, 2011–12: £1,439.33England, 2012–13: £1,444.13England, 2013–14: £1,455.60England, 2014–15: £1,467.98England, 2015–16: £1,483.58England, 2016–17: £1,529.56England, 2017–18: £1,590.55England, 2018–19: £1,671.46England, 2019–20: £1,749.88England, 2020–21: £1,817.67England, 2021–22: £1,898.48England, 2022–23: £1,965.71England, 2023–24: £2,065.05England, 2024–25: £2,170.99England, 2025–26: £2,280.21England, 2026–27: £2,391.52North Somerset, 1993–94: £599.63North Somerset, 1994–95: £636.75North Somerset, 1995–96: £668.25North Somerset, 1996–97: £615.93North Somerset, 1997–98: £624.85North Somerset, 1998–99: £682.66North Somerset, 1999–00: £739.92North Somerset, 2000–01: £779.95North Somerset, 2001–02: £817.62North Somerset, 2002–03: £919.10North Somerset, 2003–04: £1,076.40North Somerset, 2004–05: £1,161.11North Somerset, 2005–06: £1,215.79North Somerset, 2006–07: £1,274.76North Somerset, 2007–08: £1,319.13North Somerset, 2008–09: £1,354.45North Somerset, 2009–10: £1,391.60North Somerset, 2010–11: £1,423.32North Somerset, 2011–12: £1,422.56North Somerset, 2012–13: £1,425.40North Somerset, 2013–14: £1,447.19North Somerset, 2014–15: £1,453.32North Somerset, 2015–16: £1,458.66North Somerset, 2016–17: £1,510.21North Somerset, 2017–18: £1,573.05North Somerset, 2018–19: £1,666.65North Somerset, 2019–20: £1,730.92North Somerset, 2020–21: £1,812.52North Somerset, 2021–22: £1,900.22North Somerset, 2022–23: £1,959.06North Somerset, 2023–24: £2,062.11North Somerset, 2024–25: £2,165.36North Somerset, 2025–26: £2,294.94North Somerset, 2026–27: £2,491.22North Somerset £2,491England £2,392

North Somerset’s Band D bill has risen 65% in ten years, from £1,510.21 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £599.63 in 1993–94.

Your bill by band

Band A 6/9£1,638
Band B 7/9£1,911
Band C 8/9£2,184
Band D 9/9£2,457
Band E 11/9£3,003
Band F 13/9£3,549
Band G 15/9£4,095
Band H 18/9£4,915

A Band D home in Locking, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.

Somerset’s councils

Bath and North East Somerset£2,383
North Somerset£2,491
Somerset£2,561

Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,200.

Council budgets per resident, 2026–27

ServiceNorth Somersetvs England
Adult social care£487±£0
Children’s social care£262−£28
Roads and transport£47+£6
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£34−£27
Bins, street cleaning, environment£104−£15
Libraries, leisure, culture£31−£13
Planning and development£11−£15
Public health£60−£18
Running the council£60+£1
Other£3−£16
Locking’s councils, per residentEngland, all councils
Show as a table, with Somerset
North SomersetLocking’s councilsSomersetEngland
Adult social care£487£487£487
Children’s social care£262£277£290
Roads and transport£47£33£41
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£34£33£61
Bins, street cleaning, environment£104£136£119
Libraries, leisure, culture£31£16£44
Planning and development£11£16£26
Public health£60£56£78
Running the council£60£46£59
Other£3£8£19
Total, schools apart£1,099£1,108£1,234

Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Somerset and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.

Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.

Get involved

Having a say in how Locking is run

Register to vote

It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.

gov.uk ↗
Contact your councillors or MP

Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.

WriteToThem ↗
Report a pothole or a broken streetlight

GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.

gov.uk ↗
Watch or speak at a council meeting

Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.

n-somerset.gov.uk ↗
Comment on a planning application

Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.

n-somerset.gov.uk ↗
Stand for election

The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.

Electoral Commission ↗

Questions about how Locking is run

Which council runs Locking?

Locking is run by North Somerset Council.

Does Locking have a town council?

Yes: Locking has its own parish-tier council (Locking parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £99 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.

Who is the MP for Locking?

Dan Aldridge (Labour) is the MP for Weston-super-Mare, which covers Locking.

How many councillors does Locking have?

2 ward councillors represent Locking’s 1 ward.

When are the next elections in Locking?

No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Locking’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.

How much is council tax in Locking?

Band D council tax in Locking is £2,457 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).

Who controls North Somerset Council?

No party has a majority. As elected, Conservative 13 · Labour 10 · Liberal Democrat 9 · Green 8 · Independent 6 · Portishead Independents 3 · Reform UK 1 of 50 seats; a majority needs 26. The council’s website lists who leads it now.

Who won the 2023 council election in Locking?

In Locking’s wards on 4 May 2023, Independent 1 · Conservative 1 of the 2 seats up. Independents had the largest share of votes, 32.3%.

Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.