The Parish Liaison Meeting of Bath and North East Somerset Council was held on Wednesday 21 October 2026. The meeting focused on the Draft Local Plan, with officers presenting key elements and addressing concerns from parish and town council representatives. An update was also provided on the Bath & North East Somerset Avon Local Councils Association (ALCA).

Draft Local Plan

The majority of the meeting was dedicated to a presentation and discussion on the Draft Local Plan, which sets out the vision and policies for shaping development in Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) until 2043. Richard Daone, Deputy Head of Planning Policy, and Nick Simons, Principal Engineer for Transport Policy, outlined the plan's key components.

The plan aims to address a government target of 27,324 homes for B&NES, with a proposed figure of 22,000 homes, 40% of which must be affordable. It also seeks to maintain employment levels with around 22,000 jobs, encouraging growth in key sectors such as specialist engineering, health, and research and development. A significant aspect of the plan involves reviewing Green Belt rules, with approximately 9,000 new homes proposed on land currently designated as Green Belt, under the principle of providing improved open space for people and nature.

The transport strategy within the plan prioritises development in well-connected and sustainable locations, aiming to ensure effective local and bus connectivity, including multi-modal travel hubs along the A4, A367, and A37 corridors. It also addresses residual capacity and safety challenges on the road network through targeted interventions. The plan acknowledges the need for significant infrastructure development, including transport, education, and health services, and outlines ongoing work with providers and the use of developer contributions (Section 106 agreements and Community Infrastructure Levy - CIL) to fund these requirements.

Parish and town council representatives raised several concerns during the question and answer session. Questions were posed regarding the use of a connectivity tool by transport officers, the allocation of housing in Whitchurch Village and its impact on local employment and commuting patterns, and the tight timescale for consultation responses. Concerns were also raised about the reference to the 2024 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) instead of a more recent version, and the potential for developers to not come forward to meet housing targets, or for B&NES Council to be instructed to increase targets.

Specific villages, such as Timsbury, with a proposed 37% increase in growth, and Saltford, with a proposed 75% increase in housing, had their potential traffic increases and infrastructure coping mechanisms questioned. The plan's approach to developing and regenerating areas within Bath, such as Twerton and Whiteway, was also discussed, with reference to the Pride in Place regeneration project. The issue of Green Belt and Grey Belt development was a particular concern for rural parishes, with officers explaining the assessment process for sites. Questions were also raised about sewage capacity in Paulton and the lack of proposed public transport links between housing and business parks in Peasedown St John.

Officers assured attendees that modelling work was being undertaken to assess impacts and identify mitigations for development, and that details were available in the transport topic paper. They also noted ongoing discussions with Wessex Water regarding future sewage requirements and confirmed that developers would have opportunities to suggest additional sites during the examination stage, subject to consultation. The importance of having an adopted Local Plan and a five-year land supply for housing was stressed as a means for the Council to maintain control over development.

The consultation for the Draft Local Plan runs until 30 October, and parish and town councils were urged by Councillor Shaun Stephenson-McGall, Chair of B&NES Council, to submit their responses and detailed evidence before the deadline. The next steps involve reviewing representations, preparing submission documents, and a potential submission to the Planning Inspector for examination in 2027.

Update from B&NES ALCA

Richard Maccabee, Chair of the B&NES Avon Local Councils Association (ALCA), provided an update on the organisation's work. ALCA supports parish and town councils across Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. He noted that 80% of town and parish councils subscribe to ALCA and highlighted the upcoming ALCA Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday 5 December. Mr. Maccabee also mentioned that ALCA is working on improving the B&NES Council consultation process to make it more effective for Parish Councils. In 18 months, ALCA will transition to a company limited by guarantee.

Introduction of Megan Carter

Megan Carter, the new Executive Director for Sustainable Communities at Bath & North East Somerset Council, introduced herself to the representatives. She is responsible for a range of services including parking, highways, parks, cleansing and waste, regeneration, planning, heritage, and housing.