Thank you for your interest in the next B&NES Council Options Consultation. The consultation opened on Friday 3 October 2025, and Saltford Parish Council (SPC) is keen to support residents in understanding and engaging with the process.
This page is currently being developed and more will be added to the information below following SPC having had the chance to view the consultation website. SPC needs a little time to review consultation content and to get familiar with how to navigate the consultation website. We’ll aim to update this page with helpful information soon.
SPC will resolve its formal response at its meeting on Tuesday 4 November – as always, members of the public are welcome to attend.
Thanks again for your interest – we’ll share more soon!
B&NES Local Plan Options Consultation – Have your say!
The Local Plan Options Consultation for Bath & North East Somerset opened on Friday 3 October 2025 and will remain open until Friday, 14 November 2025, giving residents a six‑week opportunity to share their views.
Saltford residents are encouraged to engage and respond, and can do so from 3 October onwards via B&NES Council’s official consultation portal: https://bathnesplaces.co.uk/localplan/
B&NES Council’s Options consultation 2025 asks for feedback on three potential ‘options’ for Saltford, as well as policy and transport matters, as B&NES Council works towards a new Local Plan to be adopted in autumn 2027. The Local Plan is a long-term statutory document that guides development and planning decisions across the B&NES area.
B&NES Council has stated that views expressed in the spring 2024 consultation will continue to be taken into account. (See SPC’s response at ‘SPC ‘strongly objects’ to B&NES Council’s Local Plan Options Consultation proposals for 1,300 residences at West Saltford & South Saltford‘).
Resident input really matters – now is the chance to help shape the future of Saltford as part of how Bath & North East Somerset grows and develops until 2043.
Map of the ‘A4 corridor’ labelled Map 16 on p.180 (centre page number) in the B&NES Council Options document, download as a PDF here. Saltford is at the bottom right corner, with three ‘Options’ at ‘South Saltford’, ‘West Saltford North of the A4’ and ‘West Saltford South of the A4’ in yellow as located to the Keynsham side of the village.
B&NES Council Local Plan ‘Roadshow’ – (Near Saltford 13–14 Oct) – In Saltford 15 October
B&NES Council will be holding a series of Local Plan ‘Roadshow’ events near Saltford on 13 and 14 October, and at various locations in Saltford on Wednesday 15 October. Please view the B&NES Council Local Plan ‘Programme and consultation activities‘ page. A screen shot of the ‘Hicks Gate, Whitchurch, Keynsham and Saltford’ section (correct as of 3 October) is below and a PDF can be downloaded here.
Saltford Roadshow dates are Weds 15 October, with other locations nearby on Mon 13 Oct and Tue 14 October. Download a PDF of the above image here.
The aim of the roadshow is to raise awareness of the Local Plan Options Consultation and to encourage residents to get involved and have their say.
A branded B&NES van will be making scheduled stops at various locations in B&NES, and Planning Officers will be on hand to share leaflets and consultation information, and to signpost residents on how they can take part.
While some information will be available at the B&NES van, the main purpose of B&NES Council’s Options Roadshow is to promote engagement – particularly among residents who may not yet be aware of the consultation – and to encourage active participation from those who are aware.
SPC has been informed that B&NES Council hopes to broaden its outreach through its Local Plan roadshow, with a view to engage residents who may not have responded to previous consultations. As part of this effort, B&NES has shared with SPC that it is targeting engagement with around 20,000 residents around the B&NES area through the roadshow events.
Please note that the time available at each stop is limited due to the schedule B&NES Council needs to follow across the many locations the van aims to visit. Weather conditions could also affect the roadshow. As such, opportunities to speak directly with B&NES Council’s Planning Officers present may be brief, and B&NES staff will need to move on promptly at the end of each timeslot to ensure they can meet with residents at the next scheduled roadshow stop.
For more details and the full list of locations, and for the most up-to-date information, please visit the consultation page on the B&NES Council Options Consultation Programme page (https://bathnesplaces.co.uk/localplan/index.php?contentid=347).
SPC to resolve its Local Plan Options Consultation response on 4 November 2025
SPC will agree its response to B&NES Council’s Local Plan Options Consultation at its meeting on Tuesday 4 November 2025.
Once approved, the Parish Council’s response will be published in the ‘News‘ section of our website, and signpost to it from this page too.
Members of the public are welcome to attend SPC’s meeting, which starts at 7:15pm in the Avon Room at Saltford Hall. Time permitting, and at the discretion of the Chair, residents may also speak during the meeting.
Full meeting details – including our Public Engagement Guidelines – can be found on the ‘Meetings – Agendas and Minutes’ page of our website.
Local Plan ‘Options’ for Saltford – information and context for Saltford residents
In September 2025, following the publication of information for B&NES Cabinet, SPC published an article about the ‘Options’ for Saltford in the wider context of B&NES Council’s Local Plan process. SPC’s article ‘Options’ for Saltford: B&NES Council Cabinet papers published ahead of next Local Plan Options Consultation‘ has since been updated and copied below.
SPC created this article for resident awareness of the next (and final) Options for Saltford, as well as to provide information on how the Options consultation fits in to the wider context of the B&NES Council Local Plan Process – and SPC’s ‘Protecting Saltford’s Green Belt‘ work. SPC’s ‘Options for Saltford’ – article contents are as follows:
B&NES Council publishes ‘Options’ papers- What are the ‘Options’ for Saltford?
- How many dwellings are proposed in options for Saltford?
- West Saltford – North of the A4
- West Saltford – South of the A4
- South Saltford
- Context – SPC’s actions to gain additional protection for Green Belt reflected in Options paper
- Context – 2024 B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation
- Context – Re-set Local Plan following new Government targets, and what it means for Saltford
- Next (and final) B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation – opens October 2025
- When will SPC resolve its response to the next Local Plan Options consultation?
- How can residents participate in the next Local Plan Options consultation?
- Key dates for Saltford residents
- B&NES Ward Councillor hosted Public Meeting – 4 October 2025, 7.15pm, Saltford Hall
- What happens next in the Local Plan process after the 2025 Options consultation?
- Find out more about SPC’s actions relating to the Local Plan and protecting our Green Belt
- B&NES Council’s press release 18/09/25: ‘Council proposes Local Plan Options consultation on the future growth of B&NES’
B&NES Council publishes ‘Options’ papers
On 17 September, B&NES Council shared papers that showed ‘options’ for development in Saltford. The options presented will be consulted on by B&NES Council in a public consultation which opened on 3 October, and which will run for six weeks (until 14 November 2025).
The B&NES Council Local Plan options consultation is available at https://bathnesplaces.co.uk/localplan/ , Saltford residents are encouraged to respond once the consultation opens.
There will be ‘roadshow’ events taking place around B&NES Council to encourage engagement by residents. The roadshow will come to our area between 13 and 15 October.
Following responses received to the next Local Plan Options Consultation, B&NES Council will create a draft Local Plan. This will be formally submitted to the Government for examination. B&NES Council expects to adopt its new Local Plan in Autumn 2027.
Please view B&NES Council’s Public Reports Pack for papers considered at the special B&NES Council Cabinet meeting on 25 September. B&NES Cabinet was asked to approve the Local Plan Options report, so it could then go out for a six-week public consultation.
The B&NES Council Public Reports Pack included the meeting agenda and the ‘Local Plan Options Document – Cabinet Dispatch’ , the document which details ‘options’ for Saltford and a number of other ‘options’ in the B&NES area including near Saltford.
Section 6 includes Saltford. Saltford’s ‘Place Profile’ is on p.167 (from Section 6.33).
There are three ‘options’ areas detailed for Saltford in the ‘Local Plan Options Document – Cabinet dispatch’ (hereafter referred to as the ‘document’ for ease) published, as follows:
Saltford residents may be particularly interested in viewing Section 6 p.160 (bottom centre page number) of the document titled ‘Bath to Bristol Corridor’.
Within Section 6, ‘Saltford Village Site Options’ can be viewed from p.211 in the document (centre page number, follows section 6.105).
For reference when viewing the document, ‘Saltford Village’ is located in the sub-area of ‘Bristol to Bath Corridor’. Residents may also be interested in other sections of the document (e.g. those apart from Section 6) that include ‘Bristol to Bath Corridor’.
As well as ‘options’ for Saltford, residents can view in the document ‘options’ for development presented in other areas of B&NES. These include locations close to Saltford e.g. at Keynsham and ‘West of Bath’ options adjacent to Newton St Loe / Twerton Fork.
What are the ‘Options’ for Saltford?
For a map of all ‘options’ land parcels in Saltford, in the context of those proposed nearby at Hicks Gate and Keynsham, please view Map 16 on p.180 (centre page number) in the document, as a PDF here, and as shown below:
Map 16 – All land parcels in Hicks Gate, Keynsham and Saltford Village p.180 (follows 6.66)
The map shows three ‘options’ for Saltford, with more detail below, titled:
(SPC notes that ‘Options’ on Map 16 are labelled A-F, with Saltford ‘options’ marked as C, B & B, and will seek clarification from B&NES on this).
How many dwellings are proposed in options for Saltford?
The figures for the above ‘options’ are shown as follows on p.211 of the document (sections in blue format are new to the 2025 options):
In the 2024 Options Consultation, up to 1,300 dwellings were proposed at ‘South Saltford’ and ‘West Saltford’ in total.
Based on the Location Option table (above), if adding up the maximum for each of the three options in Saltford, would total 1,650 dwellings.
Please view the article section below titled ‘Context – Re-set Local Plan following new Government targets, and what it means for Saltford’ for more detail on why the B&NES Council re-set Local Plan presents more ‘Options’ locations and in some instances, ‘and ‘Options’ presented in the 2024 consultation but with higher dwelling numbers included.
West Saltford – North of the A4
The ‘West Saltford – North of the A4‘ option is new, and includes the option for 300-350 dwellings.
Please view p. 217 of the document for a map of ‘West Saltford – North of the A4’ and further information (a JPEG of the map below can be viewed here).
Further information in the document includes the context of the option, as well as a table detailing ‘Opportunities’, ‘Constraints’, ‘Mitigation required’, and ‘Further evidence required’.
Figure 25 – West Saltford North of the A4 p.217
West Saltford – South of the A4
The ‘West Saltford – South of the A4‘ option is located at a similar geographical area as included in the 2024 Local Plan Options Consultation for ‘West Saltford’, and includes the option for 650-850 dwellings.
This is an increase from the 500 dwellings as included in the 2024 Local Plan Options Consultation.
Please view p.214 (centre page number) of the document (follows paragraph 6.116), for more information about the option at this location as in the map below (map also available in a PDF here).
Further information in the document includes the context of the option, as well as a table detailing ‘Opportunities’, ‘Constraints’, ‘Mitigation required’, and ‘Further evidence required’.
Figure 24 – West Saltford South of A4 p.214
South Saltford
The ‘South Saltford‘ option is located at a similar geographical area as included in the 2024 Local Plan Options Consultation for ‘South Saltford’, and includes the option for 350-450 dwellings.
In the 2024 Local Plan Options Consultation, 800 dwellings were proposed at ‘South Saltford’.
Please view p. 220 (centre page number) in the document for more information about the option at this location (map below, PDF version here).
Further information in the document includes the context of the option, as well as a table detailing ‘Opportunities’, ‘Constraints’, ‘Mitigation required’, and ‘Further evidence required’.
Figure 27 – South Saltford p.220
Context – SPC’s actions to gain additional protection for Green Belt reflected in Options paper
SPC’s work to protect Saltford’s Green Belt – actions to date
Since January 2023, Saltford Parish Council has been actively working to protect the Green Belt surrounding Saltford. Full details can be found on our ‘Protecting Saltford’s Green Belt’ page, where you can view maps, a timeline of actions, relevant published papers, and more. Actions taken by the Parish Council are also supported in SPC’s meeting minutes, under the ‘Planning Matters’ section.
A major effort has been made by SPC to look to secure additional landscape designations for areas currently protected only by Green Belt status, to bring them into line with other areas of Saltford’s Green Belt that have additional ‘Setting of Settlements’ (Policy NE2A) protections.
Some of Saltford’s Green Belt is ‘only’ Green Belt. Other parts of the village’s Green Belt has NE2A policy ‘Setting of Settlements’ designation. NE2A means that development in these areas is only allowed if it conserves and enhances the character, identity, and views of the surrounding landscape – offering stronger safeguards than Green Belt status alone.
As a direct result of SPC’s questioning of B&NES Council’s methodology when assigning NE2A protection to Green Belt, and its representations about the special value of sections of Saltford’s Green Belt and how it meets NE2A (or AGLV – Area of Great Landscape Value) criteria, under section 6.40 of the recently published B&NES Council 2025 Options Document it states:
The [B&NES] council has progressed a review of the policy and its associated methodology to inform the new Local Plan (2025-43) in preparation. The review was triggered by a request from Saltford Parish Council for the surroundings of Saltford Village to be designated as an AGLV (Area of Great Landscape Value) and also responds to background evidence carried out by an independent expert consultant in December 2024.
This has resulted in a new map (Map 14, p.169) being published as part of the upcoming Local Plan Options Consultation, which shows proposed changes that reflect additional NE2A protection to areas of Green Belt – including areas that SPC has strongly lobbied to see given greater protection.
Please see the two maps below from 2024 and 2025 for comparison (view a downloadable PDF of these maps here):
- Left: The 2024 map, showing the existing NE2A ‘Landscape Setting of Settlements’ designations as set in 2015.
- Right: The updated 2025 review map, included in the new consultation.
The green-shaded areas on the map below show existing and proposed land around Saltford that has an additional layer of protection called the ‘Landscape Setting of Settlements’, covered by Policy NE2A in B&NES Council’s Local Plan. (Download the PDF version of Map 14 ‘Setting of Settlements Review 2025: Saltford Map’ here) as taken from page 169 of the B&NES Council Options document published for B&NES Cabinet on 17 September 2025.
SPC notes that several areas previously identified as ‘Options’ in the 2024 consultation are now proposed to be designated as part of the NE2A ‘Setting of Settlements’, as shown within the green shaded areas on the map below. This includes land in Saltford near Keynsham Manor on Manor Road, and land to the east of South Saltford – both areas of land that were under consideration as ‘Options’ for development in 2024. Additionally, SPC recognises the reduced scale of proposed development in South Saltford. The 2025 consultation suggests 350–450 dwellings for the site, a notable decrease from the 800 homes proposed in 2024.
Map 14 ‘Landscape Setting of Settlements review 2025’ Saltford Map (download a PDF version here)
For a comprehensive overview of information in Section 6 and Section 9 of the B&NES Council Options document which addresses SPC’s request, please view SPC’s article: Saltford’s Landscape Setting explained: B&NES Council Local Plan ‘Options’ (dated September 2025).
Map 14 ‘Setting of Settlements’ around Saltford (download a PDF version here)
Landscape Setting Around Saltford – Local Plan Review: Map 14 (see above – download the PDF version of Map 14 ‘Setting of Settlements’ here) is taken from page 169 of the B&NES Council consultation document and shows the ‘Landscape Setting of Settlements’ surrounding Saltford. It includes both existing designated NE2A ‘Setting of Settlements’ land as well as proposed land, including new sections of Saltford’s Green Belt. This follows SPC’s representations and evidence to B&NES Council.
Saltford is one of seven areas included in this stage of the review. B&NES Council is now presenting options to either retain or strengthen Policy NE2A, reflecting the updated Saltford assessment and the addition of six newly defined landscape settings elsewhere in the district.
To learn more about SPC’s work to protect Saltford’s Green Belt and landscape setting, including a timeline of actions and supporting documents, please visit our article: ‘Protecting Saltford’s Green Belt’.
As above, Key papers that may be of interest to Saltford residents as they consider their own responses to the Options consultation include:
Annex – Locally distinctive historic fields south of Montague Road / Manor Road, Saltford South (photographic record) (May 2025)
Grey Belt Assessment of Saltford’s Green Belt (AGLV) (March 2025)
Locally distinctive historic fields south of Montague Road / Manor Road, Saltford South (supplementary evidence report) (May 2025)
SPC has welcomed B&NES Council’s response to SPC’s lobbying for B&NES Council to review its methodology and approach to assigning additional landscape protections to Saltford’s Green Belt (and Green Belt elsewhere in the district), and for applying the methodology. SPC notes that this has resulted in new areas of Green Belt being proposed as having additional protection – NE2A ‘Setting of Settlements’ – further to current Green Belt status alone.
Please view SPC’s new article which has more detail and information about the above, titled: Saltford’s Landscape Setting explained: B&NES Council Local Plan ‘Options’
Context – 2024 B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation
Residents will recall that information in the last set of B&NES Local Plan ‘options’ papers – as published in early 2024 – that these included options for ‘West Saltford’ (500 houses) & ‘South Saltford’ (800 houses). A B&NES Council public consultation, the first Local Plan Options Consultation, followed soon after. This consultation received a high number of responses from Saltford residents, with thanks to everyone who engaged with it.
Comments submitted by residents in the 2024 consultation do not need to be resubmitted in 2025 consultation responses (there is a typographical error in paragraph 4.55, p. 71) of the Options document – clarification has since been sought, with thanks to Ward Cllr Duncan Hounsell for raising). Please view the section below titled ‘How can residents participate in the next Local Plan Options consultation?’ for further information on this.
For SPC’s robust and comprehensive response to the first Local Plan Options consultation, please view a copy of SPC’s resolved response in the document here.
Further information about SPC’s response to the first Local Plan Options Consultation can be found in SPC’s article dated 6 March 2024: ‘SPC ‘strongly objects’ to B&NES Council’s Local Plan Options Consultation proposals for 1,300 residences at West Saltford & South Saltford’.
For details about SPC’s wider efforts to protect Saltford’s Green Belt, please view our article ‘Protecting Saltford’s Green Belt’. Specific information relating to the first Local Plan Options Consultation can be found in the timeline for 2024.
Context – Re-set Local Plan following new Government targets, and what it means for Saltford
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) changes: The NPPF is the Government’s main document guiding how planning decisions are made across England. It sets out what local councils – including B&NES Council, which is the planning authority for Saltford – must consider when planning for housing, transport, nature, the environment, and infrastructure. B&NES Council must follow the NPPF when preparing its Local Plan (and when making decisions on planning applications). The aim is to make sure that any development is well-designed, sustainable, and meets the needs of communities.
Changes to National Planning rules in 2024: Earlier in 2024, under the previous Government, B&NES Council held its first Local Plan Options Consultation. This was based on the version of the NPPF that existed at that time. However, after the new Government was elected in summer 2024, it launched a review of national planning policy. This led to several important changes, with a major NPPF update published in December 2024.
What do these changes mean for Saltford?: One of the biggest changes was the reintroduction of mandatory housing targets. Councils like B&NES must now plan for a higher number of new homes, based on national calculations. They also have to prove they have a five-year supply of land ready for housing development. Because of these new requirements, B&NES Council had to ‘re-set’ its Local Plan, increasing the minimum number of homes it must plan for. The Council is now running a new Options Consultation based on this re-set plan. These changes mean local councils are expected to plan for more housing, more quickly. For areas like Saltford, this could mean more development in the years ahead. However, the updated NPPF also puts more focus on making sure that infrastructure and services, like transport and green spaces, are properly considered and delivered alongside new homes. That’s why transport and infrastructure are included in the documents published ahead of the latest B&NES Cabinet meeting.
New policy concept – ‘Grey Belt’: In the latest consultation, three site options in Saltford have been identified for possible development – all of them on the village’s Green Belt. SPC has been working since January 2023 to achieve greater protection for Saltford’s Green Belt, Please view SPC’s ‘Protecting Saltford’s Green Belt‘ page for more information. A new national policy concept, called the ‘Grey Belt’, was introduced in the updated NPPF. This refers to parts of the Green Belt that may no longer fully meet the criteria for protection and could, under strict conditions, be released for development. These areas can only be considered if any development includes affordable homes, good design, infrastructure, and green space. However, SPC has resolved in its view that no Green Belt land in Saltford qualifies as ‘Grey Belt’. ‘Green Belt’ is mentioned in the document, including in sections 4.19 and 9.118, which may be of interest to residents. The document also has a section on whether any Green Belt in Saltford meets the assessment for ‘Grey Belt’ on p.197.
Next (and final) B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation – opens October 2025
Following B&NES Council’s publication of ‘Options’ papers today (17 September 2025), B&NES Council’s Cabinet will meet on 25 September to decide whether these will form the basis of the next (and final) B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation. Please find information about the special B&NES Council Cabinet meeting here on the B&NES Council website.
SPC has been informed that B&NES Council’s next Local Plan Options Consultation is due to open on Friday 3 October and close on Friday 14 November.
When will SPC resolve its response to the next Local Plan Options consultation?
As it stands, SPC will look to respond to the B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation at its 4 November 2025 meeting.
Members of the public are welcome to attend. Meeting details will be added to SPC’s ‘Meetings – Agendas and Minutes‘ page (and the noticeboard) nearer the time.
To add, although SPC has been actively engaging with B&NES Council with regards to matters relating to the Local Plan, the only information that SPC has about the contents of the Local Plan Options Consultation is the information presented in the Agenda Reports Pack (e.g. the document linked throughout this article) as published on the B&NES Cabinet meeting webpage today.
SPC will only become aware of the contents of the Local Plan Options Consultation 2025 at the same time as everyone else, when the consultation opens on Friday 3 October.
In light of the access and usability issues experienced during the previous Local Plan consultation, SPC has encouraged B&NES Council to ensure that the upcoming (and final) consultation is user-friendly and that all information is clearly accessible.
Further information about the B&NES Council Local Plan is available on the B&NES Council website. Please view their ‘The Local Plan‘ page.
How can residents participate in the next Local Plan Options consultation?
Residents are encouraged to respond to B&NES Council’s Local Plan Options Consultation from 3 October to 14 November 2025. Residents can respond to the online consultation via https://bathnesplaces.co.uk . If there are other ways to respond to the consultation, SPC will look to share this information.
B&NES Council will also be running ‘roadshow’ events at a variety of locations in or near Saltford between 13-15 October to aid resident engagement.
SPC will share any further information about the consultation once available from B&NES Council. Please view SPC’s social media in the first instance, followed by the ‘News’ section of SPC’s website. Recent social media posts can be viewed on the side-bar of our website.
B&NES Council has stated ahead of 2025 options consultation responses that some of the location options to be included in the 2025 consultation were also presented in the Spring 2024 Options Document. B&NES Council has shared that any comments made previously on these options by members of the public will still be taken into account by B&NES Council and do not need to be submitted again. However, if residents wish to make further comments in light of new information now available, these would be welcomed in responses to the 2025 options consultation.
B&NES Council has added that to support residents in reviewing the proposals, any new or updated site options are clearly marked within the place-based chapters of the consultation document (as formatted in blue). This information follows awareness of a typographical error in the document as published on 17 September, paragraph 4.55 (page 71).
Please note, SPC will meets on Tuesday 7 October 2025, however the Local Plan Options Consultation will not be an agenda item to resolve at the meeting. Should residents wish to address the Parish Council prior to it resolving its response, they are welcome to do so at SPC’s November meeting, when SPC’s response to the Local Plan Options Consultation will be an item to resolve.
Key dates for Saltford residents
Please find below key dates for Saltford residents as associated with the upcoming consultation.
Should B&NES Council inform SPC when there will be specific engagement in Saltford e.g. a drop-in session at Saltford Hall – as requested by SPC to B&NES Council, this information will be shared by SPC.
It is noted that in Appendix 1 of the document, (p.467) that there will be a ‘Consultation Roadshow’, and that the full roadshow programme and details of events will be published by B&NES Council ahead of 3rd October. The Consultation Roadshow for Saltford (and Keynsham, Whitchurch and Hicks Gate) shows as being scheduled for 13-15 October 2025. SPC will share information on this once received.
Key dates (correct at time of publication):
- 17 September – B&NES Council to publish Cabinet papers outlining updated Local Plan ‘Options’.
- 25 September – Special B&NES Council Cabinet meeting to consider the documents and agree for consultation to go ahead (meeting details and documents will be available on the B&NES website).
- 3 October – The second Local Plan Options Consultation officially due to open (consultation period runs for six weeks). Information at https://bathnesplaces.co.uk/localplan/
- 4 October – Public Meeting at Saltford Hall, 7.15pm, led by B&NES Ward Councillor Duncan Hounsell, to share information about the consultation. Representatives of SPC will be in the audience. Details below.
- 7 October – SPC October meeting – B&NES Cabinet Members have been invited to address the Council and receive Q&As from SPC Cllrs. Should they be able to attend, this will be clearly stated on SPC’s October agenda.
- 13-15 October TBC – B&NES Council ‘Consultation Roadshow’. See above, SPC awaits further detail.
- 4 November – Saltford Parish Council to consider and agree its response to the consultation at its Full Council meeting. Public welcome.
- 14 November – Final day of the second Local Plan Options Consultation.
B&NES Ward Councillor hosted Public Meeting – Saturday 4 October 2025, 7.15pm, Saltford Hall
Saltford B&NES Ward Cllr Duncan Hounsell has posted about a Public Meeting he is hosting to share information on the Local Plan (2025-2043) Options for housing development – details as follows:
Saturday 4th October 
7:15pm start 
Saltford Hall
Cllr Duncan Hounsell has shared background information including: The Government has set B&NES a mandatory target of 28,000 dwellings over the plan period; B&NES planning officers have published a range of possible housing locations – these are not decisions or B&NES Council policy (or policy of any political grouping); and, A public consultation runs from 3 Oct to 14 Nov – this is not a referendum, but an opportunity to provide planning-based comments.
Please note – the Public Meeting is not a SPC organised event, and any queries about the meeting need to be directed to B&NES Ward Councillor Duncan Hounsell (please find B&NES Ward Councillor contact details are on the ‘Your Councillors‘ page on the B&NES Council website).
Some SPC members plan to attend as part of the audience, and look forward to hearing the information shared. SPC’s Chair was invited to be on the panel but unfortunately due to external demands on their time was unable to attend.
SPC’s article has been referred to in Cllr Hounsell’s post as an ‘excellent source of information’ ahead of the meeting.
What happens next in the Local Plan process after the 2025 Options consultation?
To view how this next consultation fits in with B&NES Council’s own timeline for the next Local Plan, please view their page titled ‘Emerging Local Plan development timeline’.
Please also view p.22 of the document for under the title ‘Preparation of the Local Plan’.
After the next and final public consultation, B&NES Council will begin preparing the Draft Local Plan. As part of this stage, the Council also plans to carry out additional engagement with key stakeholders. However, Saltford Parish Council (SPC) is not yet aware of what this engagement will involve or how it will be carried out.
Once the Draft Plan is complete, it will be formally submitted to the Government, along with all the supporting evidence. At that point, an independent Planning Inspector will be appointed to assess the plan’s “soundness” — meaning whether it meets legal and policy requirements and whether it has been properly prepared.
The Inspector will hold Examination hearings, where individuals, groups, and organisations can present evidence or comment on key issues. These hearings are open to anyone who made a submission during the Draft Plan consultation.
In summer 2027, the Inspector is expected to publish their final report with recommendations. If the plan is approved, B&NES Council is likely to adopt the new Local Plan in autumn 2027 at a full council meeting.
Find out more about SPC’s actions relating to the Local Plan and protecting our Green Belt
For the past year, SPC has been discussing landscape protection in Saltford (see minutes, as linked above – usually noted under ‘Planning Matters’).
Saltford Parish Council first sought landscape designation protection for ‘Saltford South’ in January 2023.
A timeline detailing SPC’s actions since January 2023, including papers and articles produced by SPC, can be viewed on our ‘Protecting Saltford’s Green Belt’ page.
