Changes to our Local Plan
In light of national Planning policy changes and the publication of a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in December 2024, we reset our approach to our Local Plan in February 2025.
Use this page to learn about the emerging Local Plan.
Planning decisions in Bath and North East Somerset are guided by national and local planning policy. Our local planning policy is made up of a series of documents, which include the following:
Local Plan (Core Strategy, Placemaking Plan and Local Plan Partial Update, or LPPU)
All Plans are also supported by a substantial number of evidence base documents. These are relevant and up-to-date research reports on subjects such as economic and population data, housing need, and environmental information. We have a legal duty to regularly review and update these documents, and cannot adopt a new Local Plan if we cannot show the evidence we have used to inform our policy decisions.
Aims and content of the new Local Plan
Scope
The emerging Local Plan will establish the planning framework for Bath and North East Somerset up to 2042. It will contain a vision, strategy and policies to guide and manage how the district grows and changes over the next 15 to 20 years, and how planning applications for new development are decided.
Regional strategic planning
Because a Local Plan deals with very broad issues, such as housing, travel, business and the environment, there are important areas of policy where local councils need to work together at a regional level.
How our Local Plan sits within the regional strategic planning framework
The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) was preparing high level plans for our region, known as the Spatial Development Strategy (SDS). The SDS was intended to provide the strategic planning framework for our New Local Plan. However, the WECA Mayor decided in May 2022 to stop all work on the West of England Combined Authority Spatial Development Strategy. Therefore, the Local Plans for Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire will now provide the strategic planning framework for the West of England Combined Authority area.
The issue of housing need will now be addressed through individual Local Plans for each of the local councils. We will continue our longstanding history of joint working and co-operate with each other and with other key bodies on strategic, cross-boundary matters as we each prepare our Local Plans.
The evidence base prepared so far to inform the Spatial Development Strategy is available on the WECA website, and will be reviewed and used as appropriate to inform every council's Local Plans.
How we develop the new Local Plan
What's involved
There are statutory regulations which cover how we develop a Local Plan.
Read about the statutory regulations
Local Plans must be prepared in accordance with the relevant legislation, notably the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
Before it is adopted the public and relevant organisations are invited to consult upon the emerging Plan.
First, proposed policies and plans are presented in an Option Document. This followed by the draft Local Plan. The consultation process is regulated by Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.
Following consultation, the Plan is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination. During examination a Planning Inspector will assess the soundness of the Plan.
Local plan reset
The Council commenced work on the emerging Plan in 2022, however, in December 2024 changes were made to national planning policy. This included changes to the way housing targets are calculated and how the Green Belt is defined.
To respond to these changes, the Plan making process has been reset including engagement and consultation activities.
Timeline
View the timeline for the Emerging local plan
Have your say
A central part of the regulations governing how a Local Plan is developed is the stakeholder engagement and public consultation that we must hold regularly during the process.
Keep in touch
If you would like to receive updates on the Local Plan and other planning policy news as it happens, please sign up to our planning policy mailing list.