There are lots of ways to have your say about development in your area. Select an item below to learn more about what's involved.
Many planning applications have a period of public consultation. You can view and comment on current applications, and sign up to receive email notifications of new planning applications for your area of interest. We also have a Planning Committee Public Speaking Scheme, to ensure that you are able to share your views on planning applications directly with the councillors who are making decisions.
We run public consultations on planning issues, so that you can be directly involved in how we develop planning policy.
We have a Neighbourhood Planning Protocol, which explains how everyone can be involved in the preparation of new policy documents. To see an overview of this process, go to our Planning policy development page.
Neighbourhood planning provides powerful tools for you to get the right types of development for your community. It also ensures that your neighbourhood's aspirations are aligned with the overall needs and priorities of the wider local area. We are supporting a number of communities in producing Neighbourhood Plans. Once adopted, these form part of the Development Plan in that area.You can find out more about the neighbourhood planning system, including key stages and what to consider at GOV UK, or view our Neighbourhood planning pages.
The Local Development Scheme (LDS) includes the published programme and timetable of forthcoming planning policy work. You can keep up to date on the progress of the local planning policy by joining our policy mailing list.
Join the local planning policy mailing list
We keep track of what land is available and potentially suitable for development. To participate in this work, you can propose sites that you think may be suitable. We then consider these sites and update our land availability assessment periodically, to update our evidence base for future planning policy development.
Propose a site for development
Please note that this is a different process to applying for planning permission, and no planning status is given to land included in the availability assessment.
UK legislation gives us a statutory duty to keep a register of people and associations who express an interest in self-build or custom-build schemes in our area. The Self-Build Register helps inform us of the level of demand for self-build and custom-build plots of land in the Bath and North East Somerset area. We use this to inform future planning policy and decisions.
Before you apply
There are two sets of eligibility tests for the Self-Build Register: basic requirements, and a 'local connection test' (see below). We use these tests to divide the register into two parts, as follows:
Part 1 – People who meet the local connection test and the basic eligibility
This part of the register keeps track of local demand. We will consider the number of registrations when looking to provide sufficient planning consents for serviced plots (land which can be connected to basic services) for self- and custom-build projects.
Part 2 – People who have no local connection, but meet the basic eligibility
This part of the register keeps track of general demand for self-build and custom-build. It will inform our planning policy and overall approach to self-build and custom-build projects. We do not have a statutory duty to grant sufficient development permissions for serviced plots of land to meet this demand.
Basic eligibility
To be eligible to register, you need to be all of the following:
- aged over 18
- a British citizen, a national of an EEA state other than the UK, or a Swiss national
- looking for a serviced plot of land in our area, to build your main or only residence
Local Connection Test
To be eligible for Part 1 of the register, you need to pass the basic eligibility test above, and one or more of the following should be true:
- You've lived in our area (Bath and North East Somerset) for six of the last twelve months, or three of the last five years
- You have close family connections who have lived in our area for at least five years
- You work regularly in our area (including paid, voluntary or self-employed work)
- You're currently a member of the Armed Forces, or have been in the last five years
- There are other special reasons that we could consider as a local connection (we will consider these claims on a case-by-case basis)
Whichever part of the register you are applying to join, make sure you have evidence of your eligibility, such as a birth certificate, passport, driving licence, utility bills or job contract. You will need to upload scans of your evidence as part of the online application process.
Please view the legislation covering the register, for more detail on eligibility and our responsibilities.
Apply to join our Self-Build Register