Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge residents who took part in Somerset Council’s first Local Plan consultation are being told their views are now being analysed, as the authority sets out the next stages of a process that will not see a final plan adopted until 2029.
The Local Plan Scoping Consultation was the opening stage in drawing up the new Local Plan, which will guide where and how change happens across towns, villages and the countryside over the next 20 years. It was not a consultation on specific sites.
Councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Planning, Economic Development and Assets, says: “I would like to thank everyone who spent time responding to the scoping consultation and sharing their thoughts at this early stage.”
“This will help to ensure we build a Local Plan covering the right issues, around a Vision that people can get behind and focus new development in the right places.”
“It’s important to stress that this consultation was not about specific development sites or potential allocations, and no sites have been allocated at this stage.”
“The development of the Local Plan is an extensive process, with multiple stages and lots more consultation to follow before any final plans are adopted.”
The council adds that it is still developing its spatial strategy for future growth across Somerset. That work will help determine broad patterns of development before decisions are made about whether any individual sites are suitable, available, achievable and consistent with the strategy.
Any sites that are eventually proposed for allocation would be subject to further evidence gathering, assessment and public consultation before any decisions are taken.
The next consultation on the content of the emerging Local Plan, including the proposed spatial strategy and supporting evidence, is currently planned for 2027. Further public consultations are due in 2028, with the final Local Plan submitted later that year. Formal adoption is scheduled for 2029.
The Somerset Local Plan timetable
- 24 April 2026 – Publish Local Plan timetable (Regulation 4)
- 24 April 2026 – Give notice of intention to commence local plan preparation (Regulation 19(1))
- 19 June 2026 – Scoping consultation (give notice) including spatial strategy and draft vision, and consulting the statutory consultation bodies on the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (Regulation 20(1)(b))
- 9 August 2026 – Scoping consultation closes (Regulation 20(4))
- 30 October 2026 – Pass through Gateway 1 (publish self-assessment summary) (Regulation 21(3))
- 6 November 2026 – Publish summary of scoping consultation (Regulation 22(1))
- 10 September 2027 – Local Plan content and evidence consultation (give notice) including draft Sustainability Appraisal + Habitat Regulations Assessment (Regulation 23(1)(a))
- 29 October 2027 – Consultation on proposed local plan content closes (Regulation 23(4))
- 19 November 2027 – Pass through Gateway 2 when observations and advice will be sought (Regulation 26)
- 10 March 2028 – Proposed Local Plan consultation (give notice) and on conformity with Spatial Development Strategy, including full Sustainability Appraisal and Habitat Regulations Assessment (Regulation 27(1)(a) and 28(1))
- 5 May 2028 – Consultation on proposed Local Plan and conformity with Spatial Development Strategy closes (Regulation 27(4) and 28(2) (b))
- 7 July 2028 – Pass through Gateway 3 (prescribed requirements assessment) (Regulation 31)
- 8 September 2028 – Submit for Examination with final Sustainability Appraisal and Habitat Regulations Assessment (Regulation 34, 35 and 37, and section 15D(1) of the Act)
- 16 March 2029 – Adoption (Regulation 39, and section 15EA of the Act)
