A message from Cllr Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset CouncilFirstly, a big thank you to everyone who responded to the recent Local Plan Options consultation. This gave people the opportunity to comment on where we should plan for the delivery of new homes and jobs and what policies are needed for addressing the climate and ecological emergencies. We received nearly 7,000 responses online. That’s three times more than any previous planning consultation. The planning team will carefully consider the issues raised and they will help to shape the Draft Local Plan. We wanted to reach as many people as possible and give them the opportunity to have their say, so the nine-week consultation period included extensive communication with communities and stakeholders and a series of in-person events that were attended by more than 600 people. Our website also included links to videos, explaining the process and giving guidance for commenting or outlining the proposed options. I think this response shows the pride we all have in our area. It’s a fantastic place, and, as council leader, I find people in other parts of the country are interested in what are doing, particularly on things like tackling the climate emergency. This is reflected in a new report ‘Civic Partners in Net Zero’, which details innovative ways universities are working with their local places to achieve net zero targets. I am delighted that it includes a case study on our collaboration with the University of Bath on using local planning policy to reduce carbon in new buildings. This report is from the Key Cities Innovation Network (KCIN), led by a Steering Group chaired by Professor Ian White, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath. The network coordinates universities associated with the cross-party group of 27 Key Cities across England and Wales – including Bath & North East Somerset. I was joined by Professor White and Councillor Sarah Warren, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Sustainable Travel, (pictured) this week at the launch of the report at the Houses of Parliament where I am delighted to say our joint work was showcased as best practice. I am proud of the strong and longstanding partnerships we have with our two universities and look forward to continued fruitful collaborations Have a good weekend. | 
