A call for sites for future housing and employment developments could soon be held as part of a reset of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Local Plan.
Proposals are being set out to update and re-engage with residents after the government set out new mandatory housing targets which see a significant uplift in the numbers that the district will need to deliver.
Under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) the revised housing figures increase the Bath and North East Somerset housing requirement by 105%, from 717 per annum to 1,471 (or around 29,000 over a twenty-year period).
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Local Plan Options document had already been consulted in the spring of last year and was based on planning for around 14,500 homes by 2042.
A single-member decision report before Councillor Matt McCabe, Cabinet Member for Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable Development, seeks approval for the publication of the ‘Resetting of the Bath and North East Somerset Local Plan and District Wide Spatial Strategy’ document.
If approved, it will explain what resetting means and why it’s necessary. In addition, it would outline potential district-wide approaches that could act as a focus in considering locations for additional development.
An updated Communication and Engagement Strategy will also be published in February.
The report before Councillor McCabe also recommends that a new ‘call for sites’ for housing and employment development is held to provide an opportunity for landowners, developers, communities and other stakeholders to suggest potential sites for both housing and economic development.
If approved the ‘call for sites’ would be launched in the week beginning 3rd February and the deadline to submit sites for consideration would be 21st March.
Councillor McCabe said: “We had already begun the first round of consultation on the Local Plan and then the new housing targets were set.
“This means we have had to take a step back and need to reset our Local Plan.
“We are committed to working with parish and town councils and our communities to ensure we address important local issues so we can create sustainable and healthy places through the Local Plan process.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council updated parts of its Local Plan through the Local Plan Partial Update (LPPU), which was adopted in January 2023.
Last September, the council’s Cabinet agreed to reset the Local Plan which had already undergone a first round of public consultation.
It also agreed to continue working with parish and town councils and local stakeholders to look for potential new development sites to accommodate new housing.
A consultation on the proposed options for future development needs across Bath and North East Somerset took place last year and a full public consultation on additional options will take place later this year.