Upon the launch of the Regulation 19 consultation of the draft Local Plan for public consultation, B&NES Cabinet Member for Planning, Cllr Matt McCabe, described the borough’s housing allocation as a “tidal wave” due to hit across the area.
While the Liberal Democrat administration begrudges the demands it says have been placed on it by the Labour Government, the Local Plan is being framed as a tool to help communities prepare for growth the Cabinet, regarded as a necessary evil rather than a choice.
State of play
Bath has largely been protected from major outward expansion, with most proposed growth falling on Keynsham, Saltford, Whitchurch, the Somer Valley and a group of rural communities. That gives the Liberal Democrats a defensible position in Bath, where many of their safest wards sit, but risks arguments elsewhere about congestion, infrastructure and disproportionate growth – particularly in the Somer Valley, traditionally less strong territory for the Lib Dems.
The plan provides for around 22,000 homes, some 5,300 fewer than the Government’s standard-method assessment, and makes no allowance for Bristol’s unmet housing need. The Council argues environmental and infrastructure constraints justify that position; the Inspector may take a different view.
Where does the pressure land?
The Council has the votes to progress the plan. But the harder question is whether it can hold local support for individual allocations. Three issues are likely to dominate the discourse on the plan:
- firm infrastructure commitments rather than promises for later
- accusations that Bath has been protected while communities to the east and south carry the burden;
- challenges from developers over the decision to plan for substantially fewer homes than the standard method suggests – a gap the Inspector could yet close.
Delivery is also weighted towards the later years of the plan, so early slippage would pressure the Council’s five-year land supply and strengthen the case for further sites.
A Cabinet proceeding with unease
Despite a unanimous vote in favour of proceeding to public consultation, Cabinet members were uneasy about parts of the plan, calling it a compromise that includes sites they would rather not allocate. However, they were quick to point out that proceeding without an up-to-date plan would leave B&NES more exposed to speculative development.
The cabinet blamed higher numbers, grey-belt policy, appeal exposure and environmental restrictions for narrowing the Council’s choices. They warned that missing December’s submission deadline would mean restarting under an even higher target.
Councillors voice concerns, a sign of the fight to come
The Cabinet debate also revealed symptoms of the opposition this plan will face during the consultation. Labour’s stance at the Cabinet marks the sharpest dividing line which the party will reinforce as the 2027 B&NES election approaches. Labour members queried why Bath’s allocation of 5,900 takes less growth than the Somer Valley. With all their members representing wards outside of Bath, they will continue to press the point on Bath taking more.
Rural ward representatives raised similar concerns, likely to recur at public hearings. Whitchurch is the starkest flashpoint: over 1,700 homes would triple its size. Meanwhile increases in Timsbury, Clutton and Farmborough were argued as running counter to already limited transport and services. Infrastructure investment will also be a key sticking point in the Local Plan’s public hearings, echoed by Lib Dem members in areas outside of Bath, including the A4 strategic corridor.
Elections ahead and more politics to come
The changes also reinforce the Liberal Democrats’ case for their reluctant Local Plan, which is likely to become more politicised ahead of the 2027 B&NES elections. With more planning decisions delegated to officers, speculative applications could face fewer opportunities for political scrutiny. While flawed, the Local Plan would give the Council greater control over where development takes place and allow communities to prepare for its impact. This will be the set piece argument likely to be deployed in these elections, in the face of criticism from opposition parties across B&NES.