For several years the North Somerset Council (NSC) has tried to establish its local plan, but has had to hold it back on more than one occasion in order to accommodate changing regulations. As long as NSC has no Local Plan (and no 5 year land supply allocation), building developers will find it easy to gain planning permission on appeal if refused in the first instance by NSC. Appeals cost the Council money.
Thus, before the general election in July 2024 the situation was as follows:-
On 22 January 2024, public consultation closed on the North Somerset Council pre-submission (regulation 19) draft Local Plan 2024-2039. NAG presented a strong and detailed submission commenting specifically on the areas which affect Nailsea and its immediate environs. These comments had to be contextualised in the form of judgment on the ‘soundness’ of NSC policies, and not on the pros/cons of the proposals themselves, as this is the basis on which the revised regulation 19 draft will be inspected on buy the government prior to ratification which North Somerset hopes will be later this year.
In that plan the principal changes between the Preferred Options (Reg 18) draft plan and the pre-submission (Reg 19) version are summarised as follows:
• The 15 year plan period was been revised from 2023-2038 to 2024-2039.
• The standard method target of 20,880 dwellings was replaced by a minimumlocally derived housing requirement of 14,902 dwellings 2024-2039.
• Three proposed Green Belt sites, including the strategic location at Yanley
Lane (Woodspring golf course) are no longer proposed to be allocated.
• There is significantly less growth proposed at Nailsea/Backwell in the absence of strategic highway mitigations and this area is no longer identified as a strategic location for growth.
• Instead of three strategic growth locations there is proposed to be just one at
Wolvershill (north of Banwell) to accommodate some 2,800 dwellings.
• Additional employment provision is identified at M5 J20 Clevedon to address
longer term needs requiring good access to the motorway.
Much of this represented good news for Nailsea. The revised plan does not feature the land which Gleesons hopes to develop in south Nailsea close to Backwell.
The last bullet point raised concerns in Clevedon as reported in the local press in February 2024.
Since the election, however, the government proposes significant changes. Green belt may be converted to grey belt and built on as long as 40% or more of the houses are “affordable”. North Somerset’s compulsory requirement to build houses in the fifteen year period of the plan has reverted to nearer 21,000. Consequently the Local Plan was held back for further adjustments and subsequent consultation meaning that it was unlikely to be ratified until well into next year, thereby becoming the Local Plan for 2025 – 2040. As long as North Somerset has no substantive plan, house builders can easily successfully challenge any opposition to proposed development. As 40% of North Somerset’s land is in the flood plain and 40% in the green belt with the remaining 20% already built on, it is clear that houses will continue to be crowded into the already built environment and into green belt.
You can find more details on the North Somerset Council Website: https://n-somerset.gov.uk/my-services/planning-building-control/planning-policy/our-local-plan/local-plan-2040