Change is coming. Be a part of it, and have your say. The Local Plan is central to how we shape the future of Bath and North East Somerset. From meeting our housing needs to jobs, transport and taking care of our environment and heritage, the Local Plan sets out our ambitions for change and development for the next 20 years. This public consultation is your chance to contribute to the conversation about how we move forward.
Select any of the sections below to read in more detail.
Online
Visit our YouTube channel, for our latest, short explainer videos:
Overview
- The complete playlist of our Local Plan videos
- The purpose and contents of the Local Plan
- How to get involved in shaping the Local Plan
Themes of the Plan
Site options
In person
A series of drop-in sessions (each running 3pm to 7pm) where people can discuss the options with council officers have been arranged at the following locations:
- Keynsham Community Space, 22 February
- Trinity Church, Radstock, 26 February
- Saltford Hall, 29 February
- The Hive, Peasedown St John, 1 March
- Bath Cricket Club, 4 March
- Whitchurch United Reform Church, 6 March
- Farrington Gurney Village Hall, 13 March.
The Local Plan takes years to prepare, and its progress is governed by national regulations. You can find out more about the stages it goes through on our Local Plan website pages. This stage, the Options consultation (Regulation 18), presents policy in development:
- Policy Options describe how we are refining our approach to issues such as climate change, protecting our heritage and building vibrant, well-connnected communities.
- Site Options offer possible plans to bring forward new development to meet our housing and employment needs.
This process aims to present the evidence we've used to form these options, the work we still plan to do, and invites your comments and suggestions on the direction we should take.
The Local Plan Options document is split into nine chapters:
- Four introductory chapters giving an overview of the guiding principles we're using to develop policy (Chapters 1 to 4)
- Four place-based chapters of Site Options: areas of possible development, with detailed maps and plans (Chapters 5 to 8)
- One chapter of Policy Options which will govern Development Management, or how we approach individual planning applications (Chapter 9)
It's a very large document, and we don't expect that everyone will want to read every page in detail. To help you to find the sites and policies you want, every page has links to all of the chapters, and back to the consultation home page, as well as useful references like the contents list and the glossary.
If you prefer to download or print the document, you can access the PDF version.
If you'd like to get a quick general understanding of what's involved, you can go straight to our Executive Summary.
At regular intervals throughout the nine chapters of the Options document, we invite you to comment, make suggestions, or express a preference on the Options we've presented. You can choose how to submit your responses.
Answer online
This is the simplest and quickest way to respond, and will help us to analyse your comments most effectively, to build up a picture of how all of our stakeholders feel. Just complete the online form which appears directly below the Site or Policy Option you're interested in.
You can comment on as many or as few items as you like - just make sure to always include the paragraph numbers from the text, so we know which part of the policy you're feeding back on.
If you have extra evidence you'd like to submit to support your comments, we also have a document upload facility. Look out for it at the bottom of any of the online forms.
Send us your comments by post
If you prefer to submit your comments on paper, please follow these steps:
- Read the sections you want to comment on
- Write your comments, using a separate piece of paper for each new Site or Policy Option.
- State clearly on each separate comment which paragraphs of the Local Plan Options document your comment refers to.
- Attach any additional printed documents or evidence to the comment it refers to, and also write the paragraphs you are referring to on the document.
- Mail your comments to the address below, leaving plenty of time to make sure they arrive before the closing date (8 April):
- Planning Policy
- Bath and North East Somerset Council
- Manvers Street
- Bath
- BA1 1JG
Read our top tips for commenting
- Be Specific: Clearly state which part of the Local Plan Options document your comment refers to (use the paragraph numbers provided throughout the text).
- Provide Evidence: If possible, support your comments with relevant data or examples.
- Be Concise: Focus on key points to ensure your feedback is impactful.
View a printed copy
Printed copies of the Local Plan Options Document are available throughout the period of consultation, at the following places:
- Bath Central Library
- Keynsham Library and Information Service
- Midsomer Norton Library and Information Service
- Bath Housing, Welfare and Advice Services
- All community libraries
Accessibility and inclusion
We have done our utmost to ensure that the Local Plan Options document and supporting documents are fully accessible. If you have any problems reading them, please contact our Planning Policy team at planning_policy@bathnes.gov.uk
We have created an Easy Read summary of the Plan, for users with a learning disability or other additional needs.
Use our Glossary of technical terms and definitions, to help you to understand the terminology and abbreviations used through the Local Plan Options document.