Critical planning issues facing B&NES are set to be tackled in a partial update of the Local Plan and residents are invited to have their say in an online consultation.

The Local Plan is the basis for determining planning applications in the district and decides how sites are allocated for development.

Ahead of a full review of the Local Plan scheduled for 2023, the Council is carrying out a Partial Update to address urgent issues, including the climate and ecological emergencies, housing land supply, potential sites for non-residential development and Houses of Multiple Occupation.

The consultation launched last week and will give people a chance to have their say on potential new approaches the Council could adopt and particularly how policy could be aligned with its declaration of the climate and ecological emergencies. It will address planning policies affecting renewable energy generation, sustainable construction and parking standards.

Housing requirements set by the Core Strategy are that around 13,000 homes need to be built from 2011 to 2029 in B&NES, but the Council has identified the current housing supply shortfall for the area is around 1,200 homes.

The Local Plan Partial Update needs to identify and allocate sites to deliver these homes in order to meet the 13,000 target on schedule.

A list of proposed sites for allocation can be viewed in the consultation documents. Visit: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/local-plan-partial-update-options-consultation – comments are needed before February 18th or email: [email protected]. Or submit in writing to: Local Plan Consultation, B&NES Council, Manvers Street, Bath, BA1 1JG.