 Bath and North East Somerset ( commonly referred to as BANES or B & NES ) is a unitary authority created on 1 April 1996 , following the abolition of the County of Avon . Bath and North East Somerset occupies an area of 220 square miles ( 570 km2 ) , two @-@ thirds of which is green belt . BANES stretches from the outskirts of Bristol , south into the Mendip Hills and east to the southern Cotswold Hills and Wiltshire border . The city of Bath is the principal settlement in the district , but BANES also covers Keynsham , Midsomer Norton , Radstock and the Chew Valley . BANES has a population of 170 @,@ 000 , about half of whom live in Bath , making it 12 times more densely populated than the rest of the district . 
 Bath and North East Somerset ( commonly referred to as BANES or B & NES ) <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>a unitary authority created on 1 April 1996 , following the abolition of the County of Avon . Bath and North East Somerset <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>occupies</mark></a> an area of 220 square miles ( 570 km2 ) , two @-@ thirds of which <a href='drop_aux' title='3'><mark>is</mark></a>green belt . BANES stretches from the outskirts of Bristol , south into the Mendip Hills and east to the southern Cotswold Hills and Wiltshire border . The city of Bath <a href='drop_aux' title='4'><mark>is</mark></a>the principal settlement in the district , but BANES also <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>covers</mark></a> Keynsham , Midsomer Norton , Radstock and the Chew Valley . BANES <a href='got' title='6'><mark>has</mark></a> a population of 170 @,@ 000 , about half of whom live in Bath , making it 12 times more densely populated than the rest of the district . 
Bath and North East Somerset ( commonly referred to as BANES or B & NES ) a unitary authority created on 1 April 1996 , following the abolition of the County of Avon . Bath and North East Somerset occupy an area of 220 square miles ( 570 km2 ) , two @-@ thirds of which green belt . BANES stretches from the outskirts of Bristol , south into da Mendip Hills and east to tdasouthern Cotswold Hills and Wiltshire border . Thdaity of Bath the principal settlement in the district , but BANES also cover Keynsham , Midsomer Norton , Radstock and thedaew Valley . BANES got a population of 170 @,@ 000 , bout half of whom live in Bath , making it 12 times more densely populated den the rest of the datrict .