A series of drop-ins has been announced for people to find out more about the options that Bath & North East Somerset Council has drawn up for future development over the next two decades.
Residents and businesses can have their say during the consultation on the Local Plan Options Document which runs until Monday 8th April.
An estimated 14,500 new homes are needed in the district up to 2042. Of those, more than 6,000 will be built on sites, mainly brownfield sites in Bath, that are already committed for development via planning permission or allocated in the current Local Plan.
The council has identified locations that could be developed for housing or jobs, together with the necessary infrastructure, in Bath, Keynsham, Saltford, Hicks Gate, Whitchurch and the Somer Valley.
A series of drop-in sessions from 3pm to 7pm where people can discuss the options with council officers have been arranged at the following locations:
- Keynsham Community Space on Thursday 22nd February.
- Trinity Church, Radstock, on Monday 26th February.
- Saltford Hall on Thursday 29th February.
- The Hive in Peasedown St John on Friday 1st March.
- Bath Cricket Club on Monday 4th March.
- Whitchurch United Reformed Church on Wednesday 6th March.
- Farrington Gurney Village Hall on Wednesday 13th March.
Keynsham Town Council has also arranged a further three consultations to ensure residents have the opportunity to review the Local Plan properly and understand what the proposal means for the future of the town.
The first is on Monday 4th March 10am to noon at Community at 67. There will also be one on Saturday 9th March from 9am to 1pm at Keynsham Farmers’ Market and one on Wednesday 13th March from 1pm to 3pm at Somerdale Pavilion (Terrace Suite).
Printed copies of the document are available at Bath Central Library, Keynsham Library, Midsomer Norton Library, Bath Housing, Welfare and Advice Services, the mobile library and all community libraries.
You can respond at https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/local-plan.
When the consultation closes, the issues raised will be considered and a Draft Local Plan will be produced which will be subject to further consultation.
It will then be submitted to the Secretary of State and examined by an independent planning inspector in 2025. If approved by the inspector, it will be adopted by the council.
We will be reporting further on the various options over the coming weeks.
