Decision details
B&NES Council Response to Bristol City Council Publication Draft Local Plan (WL)
Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable Development
Decision status: Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Purpose:
Bristol City Council published the Publication
Version of its Local Plan in November 2023 for public consultation.
Communities in Bath and North East Somerset have a physical and
functional relationship with the Bristol City Council
administrative area. As such Bristol's Local Plan deals with a
range of cross-boundary strategic issues. Through the Duty to
Co-operate Bath and North East Somerset Council is also required to
engage with Bristol City Council on an ongoing and constructive
basis. As part of this process it is important that Bath and North
East Somerset Council comments on and responds to the Bristol Local
Plan, Publication Version. This report seeks endorsement of the
proposed response.
Decision:
(1) To endorse the comments set out in Appendix 1 of the report as this Council’s response to the Bristol Publication Draft Local Plan.
(2) To agree that B&NES Council should continue to engage constructively, and on an ongoing basis, with Bristol City Council on the preparation of its Local Plan in accordance with the Duty to Co-operate.
Reasons for the decision:
Bristol City Council is preparing its Local Plan to cover an 18-year plan period up to 2040. The Bristol Local Plan has reached the Publication Draft stage and has been published for consultation under Reg 19 of the Town and County Planning (Local Planning) Regulations (England) 2012. This is an important stage in Local Plan preparation prior to submission of the Draft Local Plan and representations received on it for examination by a Planning Inspector.
As an authority neighbouring Bristol City Council, B&NES Council is required, under the Duty to Co-operate, to engage constructively and an ongoing basis on strategic, cross boundary matters in the preparation of the Bristol Local Plan. It is also important that we work with Bristol City Council on its Local Plan given that Bristol has close physical and functional relationships with B&NES communities.
B&NES Council continues to work and engage with Bristol City Council in ensuring our respective Local Plans appropriately address the cross boundary strategic matters. This includes through commenting on the various iterations of the Bristol Local Plan. The matters on which engagement has taken place and the outcomes of this engagement is documented in a Statement of Common Ground that will be updated during plan preparation.
B&NES comments on the Bristol Publication Draft Local Plan consultation document set out in Appendix 1 of the report relate to cross- boundary strategic issues and focus on:
· Unmet housing need arising in Bristol and B&NES responding to the request from Bristol City Council to accommodate a proportion of the unmet need through the B&NES Local Plan
· Other specific housing needs, including student accommodation and Traveller pitches
· Strategy relating to economic uses/development
· Development at Bath Road, Brislington and the need to continue working together in relation to development in the wider area
· Transport issues
· Other cross boundary strategic matters e.g. flood risk and renewable energy.
Alternative options considered:
No other options were considered.
Publication date: 26/02/2024
Date of decision: 23/02/2024
Effective from: 05/03/2024
Accompanying Documents:
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