Somerset Council is considering over 1,600 potential sites for new housing developments as it embarks on creating a comprehensive new Local Plan. This plan will replace outdated frameworks inherited from former county and district councils after the April 2023 restructuring.
Currently, planning decisions rely on these older Local Plans, many of which no longer reflect Somerset’s current needs. The council’s fresh Local Plan aims to cover the entire county, excluding the Exmoor National Park, and will undergo its first public consultation starting in April 2024.
As part of this process, the council has completed its ‘call for sites,’ inviting landowners and developers to submit proposals. Now, these hundreds of submissions are being evaluated through the Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA), a technical study set for publication in spring.
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The HELAA plays an essential role in identifying and assessing land suited for residential and commercial development. It forms the evidence base for the Local Plan, flagging which sites might be ‘potentially suitable’ or ‘unsuitable’ for development. However, the inclusion of a site in the HELAA does not guarantee it will be allocated in the draft plan or approved in future planning decisions.
Somerset faces unique challenges in increasing its housing supply. The ongoing phosphates crisis requires developers to implement mitigation measures to prevent additional phosphates entering the Somerset Levels and Moors, currently delaying around 12,000 homes. Meanwhile, the government’s housing targets for Somerset have increased by 41%, part of a national effort to build 1.5 million homes during this parliamentary term.
Given these pressures, the new Local Plan and HELAA may identify additional development sites alongside existing allocations to meet demand. After publishing the HELAA, the council will conduct detailed assessments of shortlisted sites to determine which are viable candidates for draft plan allocation.
Public engagement will be integral throughout this process. When the draft Local Plan is released for consultation, residents and stakeholders will have opportunities to review and respond to proposed site allocations, policies, and supporting evidence.
The consultation timeline includes an initial phase starting in April 2024 and a subsequent round in autumn 2027. Following consultations, the Local Plan will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate by January 2028. This step may involve public hearings in the same year. The final inspector’s report is expected by February 2029, with Somerset Council aiming to adopt the Local Plan by late March 2029.
This comprehensive approach marks an important step in addressing Somerset’s housing challenges while balancing community and environmental concerns.