Date published: 2026-03-20 | Category: Delivering for local residents, Local Plan, Planning, Preparing for the Future
Bath & North East Somerset Council is continuing work preparing the new Local Plan, following strong public engagement on the options for how development needs across the district could be met up to 2043.
The Local Plan Options consultation, held from 3 October to 14 November last year, explored how the council should plan for new homes, jobs and supporting infrastructure, and what policies are needed to address the climate and ecological emergencies
The consultation received feedback from residents, community groups, businesses and stakeholders across the district. More than 3,200 people attended in‑person events, there were 19,000 individual visits to the website and nearly 8,000 online responses were submitted, as well as letters and petitions – the highest level of engagement the council has ever received for a planning consultation. Videos, site information and supporting material were provided online to help people understand the proposed options for areas including Keynsham, Saltford, Hicks Gate, Whitchurch, Bath and the Somer Valley.
The council is considering the issues raised in consultation responses, as well as undertaking further technical work, in preparing the Draft Local Plan which will set out the council’s proposed spatial strategy and sites to meet development and infrastructure needs, and policies for determining planning applications.
Councillor Matt McCabe, Cabinet Member for Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable Development, said: “Thank you to all the residents, businesses and community groups who took the time to engage with the Options stage of the Local Plan. I attended every community I was invited to, to encourage everyone to respond, and the level of participation has been fantastic. This reflects just how important these decisions are for the future of our communities
“Your feedback is helping to shape the Draft Local Plan — from how we meet our housing needs and support local jobs, to the policies we develop to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies. As we move to the next stage, we remain committed to creating a plan that is fair, sustainable and reflects the priorities of the people who live and work here.”
On 26 March, the Climate Emergency & Sustainability Scrutiny Panel will receive a verbal update on the Draft Local Plan explaining how upcoming changes to the national planning system mean that some policy options consulted on last year can no longer progress.
A new government policy that will be introduced later this year aims to reduce the ability of local authorities to set standards or policies that duplicate or conflict with the national approach. In future all district-wide development management policies that are used in determining planning applications across B&NES must align with the national framework. Where there is a policy conflict, national policy takes precedence over local policy.
A fuller report on the plan will be presented to the Scrutiny Panel on 21 May and it will be discussed at a special Cabinet meeting on 10 June, where members will be asked to approve it to go forward for public consultation.
If approved, a six‑week public consultation will begin in late June, giving residents and stakeholders another opportunity to review and comment on the Draft Local Plan.
The plan, along with the consultation responses, will then be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination in the autumn.
Once adopted, the Local Plan will guide planning decisions across Bath & North East Somerset until 2043.
More information can be found on the council website.
ENDS