Protecting Saltford's Green Belt - Saltford Parish Council

Summary: SPC requests landscape designation protection

Summary: SPC requests landscape designation protection at ‘Saltford South of the A4’

(This section gives an overview of SPC’s actions. For a detailed account of actions, including documents and articles produced, please view the ‘Timeline: SPC’s bid for landscape designation protection’ section below).

Saltford Parish Council (SPC) views that the whole area it defines as ‘Saltford South of the A4’ should have designated landscape protection. This would be in addition to the land’s current classification as Green Belt.

Saltford is entirely surrounded entirely by Green Belt, and Green Belt classification protects land from most forms of development. Not all Green Belt is the same, and some areas of Green Belt have additional classifications. Green Belt classification, plus any other landscape protection designations, are decided by the local Planning Authority. The local Planning Authority for Saltford is Bath and North East Somerset Council (B&NES Council).

In January 2023, SPC requested that B&NES Council designate the entire area referred to originally by SPC as ‘Saltford South’ and later as ‘Saltford South of the A4’ either as an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) or as Local Green Space (LGS) for additional protection, further to its status as Green Belt. SPC’s formal request to B&NES Council was detailed in SPC’s ‘Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) or Local Green Space (LGS) for Salford South – Case paper’.

In November 2024, following meetings between SPC Councillors and B&NES Council Senior Planning Officers, SPC’s original bid for ‘Saltford South of the A4’ to be designated as either an Area of Greater Landscape Value (AGLV) or a Local Green Space (LGS) was dismissed. B&NES Council stated that they did not use the landscape designation ‘Area of Greater Landscape Value (AGLV)’.

SPC resolved in January 2024 that it would continue to request that B&NES Council assign additional designated landscape protection to the area known as ‘Saltford South of the A4’. SPC submitted its ‘Saltford South landscape designation request – reaffirmation plus options from SPC’ document to B&NES Council, as resolved at SPC’s January 2024 meeting, to state the options that would be acceptable to SPC.

In its reaffirmation document, SPC stated to B&NES Council that SPC would welcome discussions to designate the area – in addition to its previous request for an Area of Greater Landscape Value (AGLV) or a Local Green Space (LGS) – as a Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a). Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) landscape designation is a classification used by B&NES Council, unlike AGLV. Further, this classification had already been assigned to some – but not all – Green Belt land at ‘Saltford South of the A4’. SPC requested that all areas of ‘Saltford South of the A4’ be granted Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) to overlap existing Green Belt status and give more protection to all areas of the significant landscape south of the village.

Map of green belt & NE2a land:

The map shows Saltford surrounded by Green Belt (blue lines mark parish boundaries). Dark green marks areas beyond Saltford’s housing boundary classified ‘only’ as Green Belt.

Areas marked in light green show land that is Green Belt and designated as Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) classification.

Following SPC’s request for Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) designation for the whole of ‘Saltford South of the A4’ as requested in January 2024, later that month papers were published by B&NES Council relating to the B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation. At a public meeting called by B&NES Ward Councillors at the end of January, SPC was informed by B&NES Council’s Cabinet Member for the Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable Development that the upcoming B&NES Local Plan Options Consultation would allow stakeholders – including SPC – the option to comment on local landscape designations.

In February 2024, B&NES Council launched its Local Plan Options Consultation which presented options for building over the next 20 years in the B&NES Council area. Options presented by B&NES Council for Saltford included proposals for 1,300 residences on Saltford’s Green Belt (see map section below). These proposals included two options, to build residences in areas B&NES Council defined as ‘South Saltford’ (proposals for 800 residences + primary school) and ‘West Saltford’ (proposals for 500 residences + primary school), or both areas combined (with a single, larger primary school).

‘South Saltford’ and ‘West Saltford’ were proposals made for Green Belt land that SPC had requested additional designated landscape protection for, being situated within the area defined as ‘Saltford South of the A4’. It was noted that none of the Green Belt land that already had been classified as Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) had been proposed as a location for building in the Local Plan Options Consultation.

At its March 2024 meeting, SPC resolved to strongly object to the proposals at ‘South Saltford’ and ‘West Saltford’ in its response to the B&NES Local Plan Options Consultation. SPC also reiterated its request for B&NES Council to designate the entire area of ‘Saltford South of the A4’ with additional landscape protection as first requested in January 2023 and again in January 2024.

In June 2024, SPC again requested a meeting with senior B&NES Council Planning Policy officers to discuss its request for designated landscape protection at ‘Saltford South of the A4’. It was confirmed subsequently that meetings between B&NES Council officers and SPC members would take place between September and November 2024. SPC was also informed that B&NES Council would engage with SPC as part of the Local Plan process as part of these meetings.

SPC’s request for additional landscape designation protection at Saltford South of the A4, first made a year prior to B&NES Council’s published proposals for building on Green Belt land as part of its Local Plan Options Consultation, continues. This action is a standing item under ‘Planning Matters’ on SPC’s agendas.

The ‘Timeline of SPC’s bid for designated landscape protection’ below provides detailed information on the above summary with links to documents and articles produced. Please see the ‘current position’ section at the end of this article for the latest news of SPC’s mission.

Maps (inc. Local Plan proposals)

Maps

Saltford South of the A4: As also shown above, this map details in shaded blue the area defined by SPC as ‘Saltford South of the A4’ (originally called ‘Saltford South’). The area shaded in blue shows where SPC has requested additional landscape designation protection beyond Saltford’s housing boundary, further to this area already being designated as Green Belt.

Green Belt around Saltford including Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a): As displayed above, all green areas on the map opposite are designated as Green Belt, with light green areas indicating Green Belt that has further designation protection, having been classified by B&NES Council as Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a). The areas of Green Belt contrast with the Saltford and Keynsham housing boundaries (thin black line around development). Blue lines mark parish boundaries.

Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) around Saltford: The areas in green show Green Belt that has additional protection, designated by B&NES Council as Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a). SPC has requested that all areas at Saltford South of the A4 (e.g. the white areas adjacent to the Saltford Housing Boundary south of the A4 Bath Road, as marked by the green line) are given further designated landscape protection by B&NES Council.

B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation maps:

B&NES Council’s ‘South Saltford’ proposals: The map below is taken from B&NES Council’s Local Plan Options Consultation for South Saltford (800 houses + primary school), as consulted on between February and March 2024. When compared to the maps above, it shows that the proposals for building in Saltford have been located on an area of Green Belt that does not have Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) designation. The ‘South Saltford’ area included in proposals by B&NES Council for development as part of the Local Plan process is part of the ‘Saltford South of the A4’ area that SPC has requested have further landscape designation protection.

B&NES Council’s ‘West Saltford’ proposals: The map below produced as part of B&NES Council’s Local Plan Options Consultation for West Saltford (500 houses + primary school), similarly to South Saltford proposals, shows proposals for building residences on Saltford’s Green Belt that is not designated by B&NES Council as Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a). The West Saltford area, as can be seen when compared to the ‘Saltford South of the A4’ map, is part of the area included by SPC in its request for additional landscape protection designation. The A4 Bath Road is shown as a grey line.

B&NES Council’s Site Options & Existing Allocations: The map below shows B&NES Council’s Local Plan Options Consultation for South Saltford (800 houses + primary school) and West Saltford (500 houses + primary school) and the wider surrounding area including allocations already approved by B&NES Council between Saltford and Keynsham (‘Hygge Park’ and the new Curo development adjacent to the A4 Bath Road, both within Keynsham’s boundary). The three purple areas marked to the west and south of Saltford are Green Belt but are not protected by any additional landscape designations.

B&NES Council’s – Site Options & Existing Allocations annotated by SPC: A Saltford Parish Council Councillor produced the image below during the B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation period to help aid understanding about the locations for the 1,300 residences proposed on Saltford’s Green Belt, and how these would significantly reduce the amount of Green Belt between Saltford and Keynsham and therefore the distance between housing boundaries. As seen in the top left hand corner of the image, the distance between the red lines that mark proposed development boundaries at West Saltford and the purple line that shows the existing allocation already approved for development (by Curo) indicates that the remaining Green Belt between Saltford and Keynsham at this point would be minimal. (Green lines mark footpaths that would be lost).

Documents defining the ‘Landscape and Heritage Sensitivity Assessment of Green Belt’ at both ‘Saltford South of the A4’ and ‘Saltford North of the A4’ were created in July & August 2024 respectively (linked above). The A4 is used by SPC as the dividing line between the two areas. Lighter green areas on the map show Green Belt, darker green areas show Green Belt that also has NE2A ‘Landscape Setting of Settlements’ designation.

B&NES Council’s Strategic Development Options map below puts the options consulted on in Saltford into context with other nearby proposals (all ‘options proposals’ are shown in red, including ‘South Saltford’ and ‘West Saltford’). This map highlights proposals for housing development along the ‘A4 Corridor’ and how such proposals could impact on Green Belt both in Saltford’s boundaries as well as other areas near our village.

List of articles

List of Articles (also on SPC’s ‘News’ page):

Abbreviations & information

Abbreviations & information:

Protecting Saltford’s Green Belt – Q&As

Timeline

Timeline: SPC’s bid for designated landscape protection

January 2023

Saltford Parish Council resolved its request to B&NES Council for an ‘Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) or Local Green Space (LGS) designation for Salford South’ (area later referred to as ‘Saltford South of the A4’) at its January 2023 meeting. The case paper of the same name detailed SPC’s request for landscape designation protection for ‘Saltford South of the A4’, either as an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) or Local Green Space (LGS).

SPC submitted its bid for landscape protection designation at ‘Saltford South of the A4’ to B&NES Council. B&NES Council, as the Planning Authority for Saltford, has powers to assign further landscape designation protection to Saltford’s Green Belt.

To support the request made in SPC’s ‘Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) or Local Green Space (LGS) for Salford South – Case paper’, SPC also submitted a document titled ‘Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) or Local Green Space (LGS) for Saltford South – Photo tour’.

At the end of January 2023, SPC Councillors were invited to meet with B&NES Council Senior Planning Officers to discuss SPC’s request for designated landscape protection at ‘Saltford South of the A4’. SPC’s aim was for additional landscape designation at ‘Saltford South of the A4’ to be included as a proposal in the future B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation. Following the meeting, it was agreed that B&NES Council’s Senior Planning Officers would meet SPC Councillors again later in the year to discuss SPC’s request further.

Image shows SPC Councillors prior to the first meeting with B&NES Council’s Senior Policy Officers in January 2023.

Documents:

Article:

‘SPC agrees to seek landscape designation for Saltford South’ (January 2024)

July 2023

Saltford Parish Council Councillors were invited to a second meeting in July 2023 with B&NES Council’s Senior Planning Officers to discuss SPC’s bid for landscape designation protection.

SPC utilised the meeting to ensure its bid for landscape designation protection was as comprehensive as required by B&NES Council. At the meeting, SPC offered to present further information should this be required. B&NES Council confirmed that the submission was ‘thorough as it is’ for B&NES Council’s needs to assess the request made in January 2023. At the meeting, SPC was informed that its Councillors would be invited to discuss the matter again later in the year.

Photo shows SPC Councillors prior to the meeting taking place at Keynsham Civic Centre in July 2024.

November 2023

Members of Saltford Parish Council were invited to a third meeting with B&NES Council’s Senior Planning Officers in November 2023, along with members of Keynsham Town Council, Saltford B&NES Ward Councillors and Keynsham B&NES Ward Councillors.

The information from Senior Planning Policy Officers provided at the meeting centred on B&NES Council’s upcoming Local Plan Options Consultation (which included discussion of areas referred to by SPC as ‘Saltford South of the A4’), rather than SPC’s bid for additional landscape designation protection on Green Belt at ‘Saltford South of the A4’.

SPC was informed at the meeting that its request for additional landscape designation protection ‘Area of Great Landscape Value’ (AGLV) or ‘Local Green Space’ (LGS) had been dismissed by B&NES Council. SPC was told that B&NES Council did not use AGLV designation, and although SPC viewed that this was not a valid reason to refuse AGLV as an option, SPC was informed that B&NES Council proposed to continue to use existing Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) designation which offered similar protections.

Although SPC welcomed that some areas of Green Belt at ‘Saltford South of the A4’ were already protected by Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) designation, it was concerned that its request for additional landscape protection (as a AGLV or LGS) for all areas of ‘Saltford South of the A4’ had been dismissed with no other options or ways to progress SPC’s request indicated by B&NES Council.

SPC viewed this outcome as unsatisfactory, and had concerns that B&NES Council’s decision lacked clear process and valid planning reasons. SPC was also concerned that continued discussion about achieving designated landscape protection for the whole of ‘Saltford South of the A4’ had not been offered. SPC’s Councillors however welcomed B&NES Council’s engagement with SPC ahead of the Local Plan Options Consultation. Following the meeting and the information shared, SPC’s Councillors agreed to consider SPC’s next steps and propose action at a future Full Council meeting.

Photo shows SPC Councillors prior to the meeting taking place in November 2023

January 2024

In view of the dismissal of SPC’s bid as requested in its ‘AGLV or LGS for Salford South – Case paper’ (submitted January 2023), at its January 2024 meeting SPC resolved its ‘Landscape designation for Saltford South: Reaffirmation of application with outcome options’. The paper was submitted to B&NES Council immediately following SPC’s January 2024 meeting.

The reaffirmation paper included in its ‘outcome options’ that Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) – as used by B&NES Council currently – would be acceptable to SPC instead of AGLV or LGS. This would be on the basis of B&NES Council agreeing to extend its Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) to apply to the whole area identified by SPC as Saltford South of the A4.

Later in January 2024, B&NES Council published Cabinet papers detailing proposals to be included in the Draft Local Plan Options Consultation (proposals for building in the B&NES Council area), prior to a public ‘Local Plan Options Consultation’ taking place between February and April 2024.

The papers presented proposal options for housing at ‘West Saltford’ and ‘South Saltford’, both on areas of Saltford’s Green Belt at ‘Saltford South of the A4’, but not on Green Belt land at ‘Saltford South of the A4’ that had also been designated by B&NES Council as Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a).

An independently chaired public meeting was held at Saltford Hall, organised by Saltford B&NES Ward Councillors, on 26 January (following the B&NES Local Plan Options Consultation papers being published but prior to the Local Plan Options Consultation – and its entire contents – going live). The meeting detailed proposals in the pending B&NES Local Plan Options Consultation and focussed on the Saltford area as well as other nearby proposals. The public meeting was attended by representatives of Saltford Parish Council, including the Chair of Saltford Parish Council who sat on the panel. Over 130 residents attended the meeting.

The B&NES Cabinet Member for the Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable Development was present at the meeting. He stated in response to SPC’s updated request, submitted earlier in the month, that B&NES Council would not propose land at Saltford to be designated as an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV). The Cabinet Member also shared that B&NES Council used Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) which he stated effectively achieved the same protection. The Cabinet Member added that a question on the defined Landscape Setting of Settlements in the Draft Local Plan consultation would provide stakeholders – including Saltford Parish Council – with the opportunity to submit comments relating to, and seeking changes to, the landscape setting of Saltford.

Photo shows L-R: B&NES Council’s Cabinet Member for the Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable Development, SPC Chair, two B&NES Ward Councillors for Saltford, and Chair of Saltford Environment Group

Document:

Saltford South landscape designation request – reaffirmation plus options from SPC

Articles:

SPC reaffirms to B&NES Council request for ‘Saltford South’ designated landscape protection (January 2024)
B&NES Cabinet to consider future development in Saltford and across B&NES (January 2024)

February 2024

At its February 2024 meeting, SPC resolved to respond to B&NES Council that it was disappointed that SPC’s bid for landscape designation had been rejected by B&NES Council at the early stage of its drafting of the Local Plan. SPC also questioned B&NES Council’s lack of formal criteria or transparent decision-making process for reaching the decision to reject SPC’s bid.

The B&NES Council Draft Local Plan Consultation opened on 12 February 2024. Proposals included building 1,300 residences on Saltford’s Green Belt, as detailed above. B&NES Council also held a ‘drop-in’ event about the B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation at the end of February.

Photo shows a young Saltford resident reading a panel about proposals to build on Saltford’s Green Belt at South Saltford, as displayed at the B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation ‘drop in’ event held at Saltford hall.

Articles:

March 2024

SPC resolved its response to the B&NES Local Plan Options Consultation at its March 2024 meeting, including strongly objecting to proposals to build 1,300 residences on Saltford’s Green Belt at ‘West Saltford’ (500 houses + primary school) and ‘South Saltford’ (800 houses + primary school). SPC’s response included robust comments in reference to proposals, and included comments relating to, and seeking changes to, the landscape setting of Saltford. A summary can be found in SPC’s March 2024 minutes under item 8.f.

Though not the local Planning Authority, SPC also resolved at its March 2024 meeting that SPC recognised ‘Saltford South of the A4’ as an Area of Great Landscape Value (the ‘Saltford AGLV’). SPC agreed to adopt a new document titled ‘The Saltford Area of Great Landscape Value – Planning Policy and Character Appraisal by Saltford Parish Council’. The Parish Council agreed that it would serve as a reference document for SPC planning policy purposes.

In describing the area ‘Saltford South of the A4’ as an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV), SPC sought through the contents of the document to provide further information and data to offer a greater insight of the landscape’s high quality and value to the community.

‘The Saltford Area of Great Landscape Value – Planning Policy and Character Appraisal by Saltford Parish Council’ also submitted to B&NES Council with SPC’s Options Consultation response as supporting evidence to its objections for proposals at ‘South Saltford’ and ‘West Saltford’. The document also included reference to SPC’s original bid to B&NES Council for designated landscape protection at Saltford South of the A4 (January 2023).

SPC’s response also stated that it would seek direct discussion with B&NES Council on its request for designated landscape protection in areas not included in the Landscape Setting of Settlements (Policy NE2a) in the area ‘Saltford South of the A4’, where the proposed developments of South Saltford and West Saltford were located.

At its March 2024 meeting, SPC also resolved to adopt ‘The Saltford Area of Great Landscape Value – A Photographic Record’. The collection of photographs included in the document were recorded to provide a snapshot of the rural countryside setting that the Green Belt surrounding Saltford’s housing boundary provides.

Further decisions at SPC’s March 2024 meeting included that SPC would in the future refer to the area it termed ‘Saltford South’ in the two documents dated January 2023 and January 2024 as ‘Saltford South of A4’ instead. It also renamed the SPC ‘Local Plan Working Group’ to the ‘Planning Policy Working Group’ to better reflect the purpose of the working group.

In mid-March 2024, SPC Councillors (members of the Planning Policy Working Group) attended a meeting SPC had requested with Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg MP specifically to discuss the next steps available to SPC to achieve designated landscape protection for Saltford’s Green Belt at ‘Saltford South of the A4’. Actions available to SPC, following B&NES Council’s dismissal of SPC’s request, were discussed. These included the options for SPC to appeal directly to the Secretary of State or to follow the Judicial Review process. Further details of the meeting can be found in the article below, with any actions in line with discussions to feature on a future agenda if requested by Councillors.

During the period that the B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation was open, SPC raised concerns to B&NES Council about issues with its content or technical faults that limited successful submission of responses. The article below details the concerns raised and B&NES Council’s response, which included B&NES Council extending the time period for the consultation (also see May 2024).

The photo above shows members of the Planning Policy Working Group following their meeting with the MP for North East Somerset, taken in the Avon Room at Saltford Hall.

Documents:

Articles:

May 2024

In May 2024, SPC resolved to submit an official complaint to B&NES Council’s Chief Executive with regards to the management of SPC’s request for designated landscape protection bid by B&NES Council.

This was passed to the B&NES Council interim Head of Planning, who responded to refute the case made by SPC and to state that there was significant time and scope for further discussions between Saltford Parish Council and B&NES Council as part of the Local Plan process about its request for landscape designation.

SPC also formally raised concerns about the Local Plan Options Consultation to B&NES Council, including the concern that due to the technical fault and the delay in B&NES Council acting on SPC’s concerns following being raised that many residents may have failed to have successfully submitted responses.

Article:

SPC’s formal concerns about the Local Plan Options Consultation raised to the attention of B&NES Council (May 2024)

June 2024

At its June 2024 meeting, SPC resolved a response to the B&NES Council interim Head of Planning which stated that B&NES Council had dismissed SPC’s request for landscape designation protection at Saltford South of the A4 (first made in January 2023, and reaffirmed with additional options in January 2024) prior to the B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation opening in February 2024.

SPC asked for confirmation that discussions between SPC members and B&NES Council’s Senior Planning Policy officers would take place about SPC’s request for landscape designation protection, and requested an indication about when such discussions would take place.

In mid-June, as part of the Saltford Festival, SPC hosted a Parish Walk to parts of ‘Saltford South of the A4’. The walk was attended by many residents. The route taken and details about the walk can be found detailed in the article below.

Photo below shows an area of Green Belt included in B&NES Council’s proposals for 800 houses at South Saltford.

Article:

SPC’s Saltford Festival Parish Walk: Saltford South of the A4 (June 2024)

July 2024

In July 2024, SPC resolved to resubmit all information with regards to its request for landscape designation protection at ‘Saltford South of the A4’, and to reiterate its request for a meeting, following a new Head of Planning being appointed at B&NES Council.

Prior to this occurring, soon after SPC received a response from a B&NES Council’s Senior Planning Policy Officer explaining that due to the interim Head of Planning leaving their post and the appointment of a new Head of Planning at B&NES Council, communications had been delayed and that B&NES Council would welcome a meeting with SPC Councillors for a series of meetings between September and October.

At the July SPC meeting, SPC also agreed to adopt its ‘Landscape and Heritage Sensitivity Assessment of Saltford South of the A4’ document. This was produced by SPC as a further step to aid engagement with B&NES Council’s Senior Planning Policy Officers, with a view to enhance awareness of the significance – and sensitivities – of the entire area referred to by SPC as ‘Saltford South of the A4’.

Document:

Landscape and Heritage Sensitivity Assessment of Saltford South of the A4

Article:

Saltford South of the A4: SPC’s Landscape and Heritage Sensitivity Assessment (July 2024)

August 2024

At its ‘extra’ ordinary meeting in August 2024, the Council resolved to adopt its ‘Landscape and Heritage Sensitivity Assessment of Saltford North of the A4’ document. The document assesses and resolves SPC’s view on the level of sensitivity that applies to ‘Saltford North of the A4’, e.g. Green Belt north of the A4 to Saltford’s parish boundaries, and also as viewed from areas beyond Saltford’s boundaries such as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As with other documents produced by SPC, this document may be used during future engagement with B&NES Council’s Planning Policy team to provide further supporting evidence for the importance of Saltford’s Green Belt as a whole, and also as part of its bid to achieve designation for Saltford’s Green Belt as an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) as resolved in March 2024.

At its August meeting, B&NES Council’s Saltford Ward Councillor Duncan Hounsell informed SPC that the new Government’s building targets for B&NES had increased. Information shared included that prior to the General Election, the house building target in B&NES was 717 p.a. equalling 14,340 over the 20 year new B&NES Council Local Plan period. The new Government’s proposed target for housebuilding in B&NES was 1,466 p.a. equalling 29,230 over the 20 year new B&NES Council Local Plan period. Saltford’s B&NES Ward Councillor added that the ‘uplift in the housing target for B&NES, as proposed by the new Government, would likely impact on the development of the new B&NES Local Plan‘. SPC awaits the outcome of the B&NES Cabinet meeting on 12 September which will consider the Local Plan in light of the revised NPPF.

Document:

Landscape and Heritage Assessment of Saltford North of the A4

September 2024

Saltford Parish Council (SPC) resolved its response to the Government’s consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework at its 3 September 2024 meeting. In its response, SPC agreed to seek a stewardship approach to land use planning. The Government’s consultation titled ‘Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system’ (for submission to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by 24 September 2024), consulted on revisions to the NPPF. The NPPF forms the Government’s planning policies for Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) including B&NES Council. The NPPF revisions will have an impact on house building targets in the B&NES area.

SPC resolved to answer specific sections of the NPPF consultation that related to matters central to SPC’s interests and concerns, including Green Belt matters. During consideration of the NPPF consultation at the SPC meeting, Cllr Phil Harding, Chair of SPC’s Planning Committee, provided a concise overview of some of the key points he recommended the Council make as part of SPC’s response. This included the focus of SPC’s response on Planning Practical Guidance with views on ‘Food Security’ and ‘Support Ecological Recovery’; ‘Grey Belt and Previously Developed Lane (PDL) in the Green Belt’; and ‘Valuing landscapes and protecting the health and well being of communities’. SPC’s full response to the NPPF consultation was resolved by the Council, as was an executive summary of the response.

SPC also resolved to request to meet with Dan Norris M.P. to request he make representations on behalf of the Parish Council in line with SPC’s NPPF consultation response.

Documents:

Article:

SPC seeks ‘stewardship approach to land use planning’ in response to National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation

October 2024

At its October 2024 meeting SPC acknowledged that following B&NES Council’s Cabinet Meeting in September (watch on the B&NES YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paPQ6jTodxI ) that proposed new Government targets for housebuilding in B&NES were likely to be significantly more than when Saltford residents responded to the ‘Local Plan Options Consultation’ earlier in 2024. At the time of the ‘Options Consultation’, the draft Local Plan had been due for publication around January 2025. SPC recognised that a revised timetable based on new housebuilding targets would mean that further public consultation and the publication of the draft Local Plan would be pushed back.

At the B&NES Council Cabinet meeting, B&NES Council had also decided to respond to the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation, and agreed to question the Government about how the target for housebuilding had been calculated, put forward an argument for the special circumstances in B&NES. Links to this can be found below.

At SPC’s October 2024 meeting, the Parish Council resolved to actively seek a meeting with B&NES Council’s Senior Planning Policy officers to discuss the Local Plan following B&NES Cabinet’s meeting, and to continue discussions on SPC’s request for additional landscape protection for its Green Belt (including Green Belt identified as ‘options’ for 1,300 new residences in the Options Consultation). Following the meeting SPC received a response to its request, with a meeting planned for November 2024.

Further to this, following its October meeting, in mid-October Saltford Parish Council – along with all Parish and Town Councils in B&NES – received a letter from B&NES Cllr Matt McCabe, Cabinet Member for Built Environment and Sustainable Development about the Local Plan.

B&NES Council Cllr McCabe’s letter outlined how the government’s new mandatory housing targets would have ‘very significant implications’ for Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Local Plan and asked Parish and Town Councils to continue working closely with B&NES Council to re-set the plan. The letter also included that Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Local Plan Options document, which had been consulted on earlier this year, had been based on planning for around 14,500 homes by 2042 and that although the Government’s proposed revisions were still in draft form, the revised housing target could double that requirement. The letter included information that revised housing figures would increase B&NES Council’s housing requirement by 104% from 717 per annum to 1,466, and that B&NES Council had decided that it needed to re-set its Local Plan.

It was noted that Cllr Matt McCabe had stated with reference to the Local Plan Options Consultation which had taken place in early 2024 that: ‘The options already considered and the comments submitted remain relevant and will inform the Local Plan moving forward. However, as some of the parameters, most notably, the housing figure, have changed it is necessary to undertake further evidence work and consider additional options’. B&NES Councillor McCabe had also shared that: “The full programme for preparing the re-set Local Plan is still being developed, but the work already carried out including responses received during the earlier Draft Options consultation and stakeholder engagement on the plan will inform the re-set and further work will be undertaken looking at potential new sites as well as consultation.” Parish Councils had been informed in Cllr McCabe’s letter that the full programme for preparing the re-set Local Plan was under development and that there would be a further options consultation in 2025 prior to moving towards a Draft Local Plan.

Please see the B&NES Council Newsroom page for further information about Cllr McCabe’s letter to all Parish and Town Councils.

B&NES Council’s letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner M.P. is available on the B&NES Council website as linked from its ‘Newsroom’ page.

Updated information about the Local Plan including its progress is on the B&NES Council website https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/local-plan#progress

B&NES Council has released the following YouTube video titled ‘Update to the Local Plan preparation following publication of the draft National Planning Policy Framework’ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDq8zgXvWOk

November 2024

On Thursday 7 November, members of SPC’s Planning Policy Working Group (Cllrs Phil Harding, David Halton and Gary Graveling) met with B&NES Council’s Planning Policy officers to further Saltford Parish Council’s bid for additional landscape designation protection for Green Belt at ‘Saltford South of the A4’.

SPC welcomed information from the officers that B&NES Council had commissioned a landscape architect consultancy, whose work would include consideration of SPC’s request. SPC was informed that the landscape architect consultancy would also review B&NES Council’s approach to the landscape designation process, and as applied to all areas in B&NES. SPC was informed that this would include an assessment of B&NES Council’s use and application of ‘Landscape Setting of Settlements – Policy NE2a’, and the differences between Policy NE2a designation and Area of Greater Landscape Value (AGLV) designation.

Councillors highlighted at the meeting that the option for ‘Landscape Setting of Settlements – Policy NE2a’ would be acceptable to Saltford Parish Council (and as detailed in its January 2024 reaffirmation paper), further to its original request for ‘Area of Greater Landscape Value’ (AGLV) in January 2023.

The B&NES officers confirmed that SPC’s original bid in January 2023, and its reaffirmation bid in January 2024 (which included other acceptable options to the Parish Council), had been sent to the landscape architect consultancy, along with a copy of SPC’s Landscape and Heritage Sensitivity Assessment of Saltford South of the A4 (July 2024). SPC welcomed this action taken by B&NES Council and it was agreed that SPC would meet again with B&NES Council’s Planning Policy officers in early 2025.

An update about the B&NES Local Plan process was provided at the meeting, further to the briefing for all Parish and Town Councils arranged for later that same day. SPC was informed that B&NES Council would need to consider NPPF reforms as part of its new Local Plan, and that although the Government’s proposed revisions to the NPPF were still in draft form (B&NES Council’s officers indicated that the NPPF reforms would be confirmed by the Government in late 2024 or early 2025), the revised target in B&NES was likely to increase B&NES Council’s housing requirement by 104%, from 717 per annum to 1,466 (as SPC had previously been informed, please see ‘October 2024’, above).

SPC noted that this was double the requirement that was set during the Options Consultation in spring 2024, which consulted on proposals for 1,300 residences on Saltford’s Green Belt. B&NES Council’s officers raised that B&NES Council had written a letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner M.P. to question the Government about how the target for housebuilding had been calculated, and had put forward an argument for the special circumstances in B&NES.

It was also shared by B&NES Council’s officers that due to the pending NPPF reforms (NPPF states the Government’s planning policies for England and how they are applied) B&NES Council’s Local Plan process had been re-set, and that the schedule for the new B&NES Local Plan was approximately 12 months behind its original timeline. SPC was informed that the report from the landscape architect consultancy would be published as part of the next draft Local Plan public consultation, which was due to take place in late summer 2025.

L-R: SPC Councillors Phil Harding (Chair of SPC Planning Committee), David Halton (SPC Vice Chair) and Gary Graveling, immediately prior to the 7 November 2024 meeting with B&NES Council’s Planning Policy Officers at Keynsham Civic Centre.

On Friday 8 November, members of Saltford Parish Council (Cllrs Jon Godfrey, Gary Graveling and Phil Harding) met with Dan Norris MP to request his support for SPC’s response to the Government’s proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). SPC had responded to questions about the Green Belt and had sought ‘a stewardship approach to land use planning’ in its response. A copy of SPC’s Executive summary – SPC’s response to proposed reforms of the NPPF (September 2024) was shared with Dan Norris MP in advance of the meeting and a copy handed to him at the meeting also.

SPC raised its concerns about the impact of NPPF reforms on Saltford’s Green Belt. Dan Norris MP engaged with Councillors as they raised matters regarding the significant detrimental impact of building on Green Belt land, specifically Green Belt used for farming. Dan Norris MP stated that a regional approach to residential building was required, and indicated that regional Mayors would be given a significant input into this matter under the new Government. As such, Dan Norris MP advised that SPC contact the West of England Combined Authority Mayor following the May 2025 elections to discuss this matter further.

L-R: SPC Cllr Jon Godfrey (SPC Chair), Lottie (Parish Clerk), Dan Norris MP (holding a copy of the ‘Executive summary – SPC’s response to proposed reforms of the NPPF (September 2024)’, SPC Cllr Gary Graveling and SPC Cllr Phil Harding. Photo taken at Saltford Hall.

January 2025

Saltford Parish Council assessed Saltford’s Green Belt with regards to the new definition of ‘Grey Belt’ in the Government’s revised New National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), as published in December 2024 following consultation (see above). After assessment by members of the Planning Policy Working Group following the new NPPF definition for Grey Belt, as discussed at the meeting, the Council resolved that none of Saltford’s Green Belt met the Government’s definition of ‘Grey Belt’. The Council identified that its decision was supported by SPC’s papers titled Landscape and Heritage Sensitivity Assessment of Saltford South of the A4 (July 2024) and Landscape and Heritage Sensitivity Assessment of Saltford North of the A4 (August 2024).

At its January 2025 meeting, SPC also resolved its response to B&NES Council’s ‘Consultation on Draft City of Bath and Great Spa Towns of Europe World Heritage Site Management Plan (2024-2030)’. SPC identified in its response that retaining the UNESCO World Heritage Status had become an unsustainable burden on the whole of Bath and NE Somerset and that its UNESCO World Heritage status was likely to increasingly be a hindrance to how Bath develops to meet the needs of the 21st Century. SPC’s response also included reference to benefits should UNESCO status be withdrawn, such as increased provision for affordable housing. SPC recognised that this could be of particular benefit for the local workforce as it would result in less commuter traffic in/out of Bath. Loss of UNESCO status would also allow the ability to make decisions that suit Bath’s needs unrestricted by UNESCO requirements that may not suit Bath.

Details about SPC’s response to specific questions in the consultation can be found in its article titled ‘Consultation response: SPC resolves that retaining UNESCO World Heritage Status has become an ‘unsustainable burden on the whole of Bath and NE Somerset‘

February 2025

At its February 2025 meeting under Item 10.e, Saltford Parish Council (SPC) resolved to write a public letter addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner MP, titled “New housing without compromising food security and nature”. SPC requested the Government – and in particular Angela Rayner as she has Ministerial responsibility – make an unequivocal policy statement that overrules any interpretation of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, December 2024) and related planning policies that “no undeveloped land in the Green Belt and/or farmland during the current Parliament shall be permitted planning permission, including on appeal to the Secretary of State, for building new homes to meet national or local housing targets set by HM Government or Local Planning Authorities” . In addition to this, SPC stated that existing planning permissions for new housing developments that remain unbuilt (one million according to www.planningportal.co.uk, 5.12.2024) should be completed or well advanced by 2029, with steps taken by Government, as necessary, to make that happen.

Saltford Parish Council’s letter (with supporting evidence included in an annex section) was sent to Dan Norris MP for NE Somerset and Hanham, with SPC’s request that he forward SPC’s letter to Angela Rayner MP. SPC asked Dan Norris MP to make a similar and supportive representation to the Deputy Prime Minister, asking her to seriously consider supporting the request made in SPC’s letter.

A copy of the letter and annex can be viewed in SPC’s article ‘SPC letter to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP – ‘New housing without compromising food security and nature’ – to protect Green Belt and farmland’.

At SPC’s February 2025 meeting, the Council resolved that that there was a strong need for a sub-regional approach to identify where new housing in the WECA area should be located. The Council also resolved to support the creation of a new town (or ‘garden city’) in the WECA area if statutory housing targets as set by the Government continued to require a significant new housing provision for the WECA area that could not be absorbed by existing brownfield land, and that any such new town include access to employment and services including transport or other means that would meet sustainable development criteria. This decision followed SPC’s meeting with Dan Norris MP at Saltford Hall on 8 November to request support for its response to the NPPF consultation when SPC had received guidance that a regional approach would be required and as such SPC should approach the next West of England Combined Authority Mayor in May 2025.

It was shared at the meeting that, as part of B&NES Council’s re-launch of conversations with key stakeholders on the resetting of its Local Plan, that a ‘Call for site proposals for development (HELAA)‘ for future housing and employment development consultation had opened. Further information available about the ‘call for sites’ and other aspects of the reset Local Plan is available on B&NES Council’s ‘Local Plan Reset (Feb 2025) Why we are resetting our Local Plan‘ page, which includes information about the Local Plan Reset Document as linked from B&NES Council’s Local Plan Reset Document (Feb 2025) page.

Documents:

SPC letter to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP – ‘New housing without compromising food security and nature’ – to protect Green Belt and farmland (February 2025)

March 2025

Further to the Council resolving that none of Saltford’s Green Belt met the Government’s definition of ‘Grey Belt’ (Item 11.e, January 2025) and in line with the decision made at the January meeting, the Council resolved to adopt SPC’s paper ‘Grey Belt Assessment of Saltford’s Green Belt (AGLV)’ (also listed above under ‘List of key documents produced by SPC’. This document provides further detail and supports SPC’s view on why none of the Green Belt surrounding Saltford, as assessed using the NPPF (2024) criteria demonstrates that there is no Grey Belt land in Saltford.

Following SPC’s open letter titled ‘SPC letter to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP – ‘New housing without compromising food security and nature’ – to protect Green Belt and farmland’ (as resolved at the February 2025 meeting, see above), it was shared that that support had been expressed for SPC’s letter to the Deputy Prime Minister by a member of the Community Planning Alliance (CPA), who had contacted SPC after they saw a copy of the letter. A subsequent CPA letter titled ‘Smart Solutions to the Housing Crisis’ jointly signed by Chris Packham and Caroline Lucas (Green Party MP for Brighton 2010-2024) had been emailed out to CPA’s Councillors and MPs mailing list, which had provided a direct link to their briefing paper ‘How to solve the housing crisis’. This had taken a similar approach to SPC as in the annex to its letter, in which SPC had showed that the country could meet the Government’s 1.5 million housing target for new homes by using land other than the Green Belt and farmland. Acknowledgement by CPA for SPC’s fresh approach was welcomed, with a view that it assisted SPC’s case when organisations like the CPA acted to continue with SPC’s approach as this created a greater awareness of the case being made. The Council also resolved to follow up with Dan Norris MP to request information on actions taken following SPC’s request that he share its letter with the Deputy Prime Minister and make representations on behalf of SPC. SPC was also aware that the Leader of B&NES Council would be responding to the open letter in due course.

Saltford Parish Council had received information from B&NES Council’s Planning Policy team that B&NES Council was running another call for sites as part of the reset Local Plan process, the purpose of which was to ask for suggestions of potential sites that could be considered for development for housing and economic uses. The Council resolved that it would inform the B&NES Council Planning Policy team, by email, of the following information as contained in previously resolved SPC papers and letters:

• SPC’s Local Plan Options Consultation response from 2024, specifically sections ‘New settlement’ and ‘Bath and elsewhere’ under ‘Keynsham, and Saltford: Area overview’ (p.4 on the document linked)
• SPC’s public letter ‘New Housing without compromising food security and nature’ to the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP.
• SPC’s ‘Grey Belt assessment of Saltford’s Green Belt AGLV’, ‘Landscape and Heritage Sensitivity Assessment of Saltford South of the A4’ (July 2024) and ‘Landscape and Heritage Sensitivity Assessment of Saltford North of the A4’ (August 2024).

It was resolved that SPC would submit to the Planning Policy team the above documents for its consideration. It was noted that SPC would not respond directly to B&NES Council’s ‘Call for Sites’ consultation as on the on the B&NES Council Call for site proposals for development (HELAA) page.

The Council also reviewed its stance following its consideration of the economic growth statement made on 29th January 2025 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, which included the following policy statement on planning decisions on land around stations:- “New transport infrastructure can also act as a catalyst for new housing. We have already seen the benefits that unlocking untapped land around stations can deliver… new housing and wider commercial opportunities. We will introduce a new approach to planning decisions on land around stations, changing the default answer to yes.” It was resolved that Saltford Parish Council remained in favour of reopening Saltford railway station on the existing site, but only on the basis that a new Saltford station would be accompanied with incontestable planning safeguards to ensure that any reopened station in the village would not lead to development on any of Saltford’s Green Belt (including that recognised by SPC as an Area of Great Landscape Value). The Parish Council was resolute that Saltford – as a rural village – had already undergone significant housing growth since the 1950s, more than doubling in size, and that a new Saltford Railway Station should be established to serve and support the existing community. It was noted that SPC would review its Policy Overview, which currently included mention of a re-opened Saltford Station, at its May 2025 meeting (the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council).

At its March meeting, SPC discussed the Government’s consultation on its vision for land use in England and how this could be delivered, and acknowledged that DEFRA’s Land Use Consultation would inform the development of a Land Use Framework. The Council resolved that it would answer the first two main questions in its response to the Government’s Land Use Consultation, and submit its response by post. It was resolved that SPC would share its view that while the UK government was committed to maintaining food production, this commitment was insufficient to ensure the country’s self-sufficiency and resilience against global challenges (climate change, conflict, and population growth etc.). SPC agreed to express that to safeguard the nation’s health and economy, the UK must increase food production which could be achieved by encouraging farmers to adopt regenerative farming practices that both increase resilience to climate change and support ecosystem recovery. SPC also resolved to state that land use policy must be flexible to respond to new data and pressures. However, SPC viewed that the Government’s new National Planning Policy Framework (December 2024) would weaken protection for Green Belt and farmland, and prioritised housing targets over building homes in suitable locations. Reference was made in SPC’s response to its evidence-based letter to the Deputy Prime Minister (February 2025), which argued that there was no need to build homes, including affordable ones, on Green Belt or farmland, as doing so would be irresponsible and harm the nation’s land and natural resources. The Council resolved to submit its response by the 25 April end date, and that its response would include a copy of SPC’s public letter to the Deputy Prime Minister ‘New Housing without compromising food security and nature’. To view SPC’s full response to the DEFRA Land Use consultation, please view the following document: ‘Saltford Parish Council’s Response to the Government’s Land Use Consultation‘ (March 2025).

Following the March 2025 meeting, members of Saltford Parish Council’s Planning Policy Working Group met with members of B&NES Council’s Planning Policy team to further present the case and provide information to support its request for additional landscape designation at Saltford’s Green Belt. SPC Cllrs were informed that B&NES Council is reviewing its methodology when considering Landscape Setting of Settlements. Its assessment of settlements in this new context will be taken into account by B&NES Council as part of the re-set Local Plan process. The information B&NES Council has reviewed will be made available during the second Local Plan Options Consultation (due late summer 2025).

B&NES Council’s Planning Policy officers also shared that engagement with Parish and Town Councils about the second options consultation would take place in May or early June, which SPC’s Councillors would be welcome to attend. It was added that Local Plan documents would be considered by B&NES Council’s Cabinet at its meeting in July 2025.

SPC was informed that the second B&NES Council Local Plan Options Consultation would then open in late August and into September (dates TBC). For awareness, SPC was reassured that it would be made clear in the consultation that as well as proposals for Saltford with regards to ‘options’ (e.g. as seen as ‘South Saltford’ and ‘West Saltford’ in the first options consultation), that better awareness of the ‘Setting of Settlements’ section of the consultation would take place, including during the Parish and Town Council’s briefing, to aid navigation of the consultation information. SPC was made aware that Saltford may be included in both these sections of the next options consultation.

At the meeting, SPC raised concerns about issues associated with the first Local Plan Options Consultation (both with regards to format and ease of locating information, accuracy of maps provided, and ICT submission issues) which may have impacted on the information gathered by B&NES Council, and which resulted in resident’s participation with the consultation. B&NES Council’s officers acknowledged some issues and stated that these would be taken into account to prevent similar occurring during the next consultation. SPC welcomed news of a Local Plan briefing for Parish and Town Councils in late spring, and confirmed the Council’s attendance.

Documents:

Grey Belt Assessment of Saltford’s Green Belt (AGLV) (March 2025)
‘Saltford Parish Council’s Response to the Government’s Land Use Consultation‘ (March 2025)

L-R: Cllrs Gary Graveling, Phil Harding and David Halton following SPC’s meeting with B&NES Council’s Planning Policy team in March 2025, taken outside Keynsham Civic Centre.

May 2025

Due to the pre-election period (WECA Mayor elections) activity reports about SPC’s efforts to protect the village’s Green Belt were postponed until the May meeting.

In early April, Saltford Parish Council had received a response (via the office for the Hanham and North East Somerset MP) from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to its letter titled “New housing without compromising food security and nature”. As detailed under ‘February 2025’ (above), SPC had requested the Government make an unequivocal policy statement that overrules any interpretation of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, December 2024) and related planning policies that “no undeveloped land in the Green Belt and/or farmland during the current Parliament shall be permitted planning permission, including on appeal to the Secretary of State, for building new homes to meet national or local housing targets set by HM Government or Local Planning Authorities” (See ‘SPC letter to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP – ‘New housing without compromising food security and nature’ – to protect Green Belt and farmland’ for SPC’s full request).

At SPC’s May meeting, the Council considered the response received from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which the Council agreed to publish. The response to SPC from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government prompted the Council to resolve a view to its contents, as follows:

“Saltford Parish Council acknowledges and is grateful for the response from the
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. However, it remains
deeply concerned that there has been no acceptance of the need to take a
long-term stewardship approach to land use planning to simultaneously help
the recovery of nature and to improve the resilience of the nation’s indigenous
food supply by providing better safeguards for the Green Belt and farmland.

The Parish Council will be looking to Bath and North East Somerset and the
newly elected West of England Mayor to set a national example by ensuring
that no Green Belt or farmland in the area they control or influence is lost to
development in the planning process and to therefore use other, more
sustainable, means to meet genuine housing need and in the right places.”

SPC had also received a response from the Leader of B&NES Council in April to whom it had also sent a copy of its ‘New housing without compromising food security and nature’ – to protect Green Belt and farmland’ letter. This response was also discussed at its May meeting. The email from the Leader of B&NES Council had stated his view that the ‘involvement of Parish Councils in formulating the Local Plan is very much welcomed’ and that SPC had been thanked for its contribution to policy development. SPC welcomed the offer to meet to discuss the matters raised by the Parish Council in its letter to the Deputy Prime Minister, and it was resolved that SPC would look to arrange a meeting in the autumn. It was also agreed that SPC would share the letter received to SPC from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government with the Leader of B&NES Council – along with SPC’s resolved view (above) – when arranging the meeting.

Members of the Planning Policy Working Group presented two papers prepared by the group for the Council’s consideration to adopt at its May meeting. It was explained that the supplementary evidence report that had been produced, titled ‘Locally distinctive historic fields south of Montague Road / Manor Road, Saltford South‘, highlighted areas and features specific to this area of Saltford that exhibited characteristics which contributed to the distinctiveness of the village of Saltford.

An annex paper titled ‘Annex – Locally distinctive historic fields south of Montague Rd / Manor Rd (Photographic record)‘, produced as a pictorial record to support SPC’s ‘Locally Distinctive Historic Fields South of Montague Rd/Manor Rd, Saltford South’ paper, was also adopted at the May meeting.

The Parish Council resolved to send a copy of both documents to the B&NES Council Planning Policy team and also agreed to request to meet with the B&NES Council Planning Policy team to discuss the paper and annex. (Please view SPC’s agendas and minutes under ‘Planning Matters’ for updates).

SPC was informed at its May meeting by B&NES Council Ward Councillor Duncan Hounsell that the B&NES Council Local Plan Options document would be in B&NES Council’s Cabinet agenda papers for its 11 September 2025 meeting. This was slightly later than originally time tabled, and meant that the next public Local Plan Options Consultation would likely take place from mid-September until the end of October. The draft Local Plan would then go to full B&NES Council in April or May 2026.

SPC had also noted information from Cllr Hounsell that the mandatory government housing target for B&NES had increased further to 1,489 dwellings per annum. This increase was a consequence of a change in the ‘affordability factor’ locally. The Parish Council recognised that this increase could have implications for development proposals in the local area.

Documents:

June 2025

At its June 2025 meeting, the Parish Council received an update from Cllr Phil Harding, Chair of Planning Committee and the Parish Clerk following their attendance at B&NES Council’s Local Plan Pre-Options Engagement webinar for Parish Councils which took place on 2 June.

The following information was shared:

The reset Local Plan covered the period 2025-2043 (which was slightly less than the usual 20 year period), in which overall growth requirements had been identified by B&NES Council as c.25k homes and space to provide c.25k jobs.

The next public Options Consultation would take place in the autumn. Cabinet papers, including Local Plan Options, would be made available on 11 September. The consultation would open soon after. Only new options would be consulted on, as B&NES Council had already consulted on existing sites in their Local Plan Options Consultation in 2024.

B&NES Council’s strategy was focussed on growth in areas that were already, or could be better, connected to jobs. Also that sustainable modes of transport (e.g. active travel) were favoured over the development of any new roads.

There would be a review of the Housing Development Boundary around settlements, potentially to include all areas of garden in instances where the Housing Development Boundary was located in and/or through a garden or plot. Parish Councils would be approached by B&NES Council for an opinion about this review in the next few weeks.

B&NES Council was required to have a supply of suitable and deliverable sites (e.g. sites with full planning or evidence sites could be delivered) to provide five years of strategic housing requirement, known as the Five Year Housing Land Supply. Due to the change in the NPPF, the way Five Year Housing Supply had been calculated had changed, which meant that B&NES Council no longer had a full supply of sites. This shortfall could result in the application of presumption in favour of sustainable development known as ‘titled balance’ e.g. that planning permission should be granted unless the adverse impact demonstrably and significantly outweighed the benefits. It was shared that B&NES Council viewed that development in unsuitable locations should still be refused.

It was mentioned that concerns had been raised by SPC at the time of the previous Options Consultation (e.g. ‘click twice to submit’ issue) and that SPC had sought reassurances that the next Local Plan Options Consultation would be accessible and that the technology supporting any webform was fit for purpose. Information about the delivery of the next Local Plan Options Consultation from B&NES Council shared, which included that it would encompass a bespoke digital engagement platform and that B&NES Council would test new methods. It was also shared that B&NES Council had stated its aim to engage more broadly and to diversify and expand their outreach including through social media and short form media content when conducting the Options Consultation.

At its June 2025 meeting, the Parish Council also shared that it was aware that the Government would consult on the Revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) later this year. The NPPF was last reviewed December 2024.

As detailed on this page, at its February 2025 meeting (Item 10.e) Saltford Parish Council (SPC) resolved to write a public letter addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner MP, titled “New housing without compromising food security and nature”. In its letter SPC requested that during this Parliament no planning permissions – to include appeals – be granted for new homes on undeveloped Green Belt or farmland to meet housing targets. At its June meeting, and following the outcome of the West of England Combined Authority Mayoral (WECA) election on 1 May 2025, the Parish Council resolved to send a copy of SPC’s letter to WECA Mayor Helen Godwin. Under ‘Planning Matters’, the Council also resolved to request a meeting to discuss the WECA Mayor’s view and response to SPC’s letter, and to also seek the Mayor’s views and intentions on future housing allocations and locations within the WECA area. It was agreed that B&NES Ward Councillors for Saltford would be welcome to attend the meeting also.

Following this, Saltford Parish Council then agreed to accept the offer from Cllr Kevin Guy, Leader of B&NES Council to meet to discuss his considered response to SPC’s letter to the Deputy Prime Minister. SPC resolved to set up a meeting between SPC Councillors and the Leader of B&NES Council. Any updates would be shared at a future meeting.

The agenda for the Keynsham Area Forum on 23 June, which residents are welcome to attend, will focus on the Local Plan. B&NES Council has shared that the Forum meeting will include on its agenda ‘the importance of the Local Plan in guiding future development proposals and supporting the needs of the area – not only in terms of housing but the economy; green infrastructure/sustainability and transport’. For more information about the Keynsham Area Forum and its meetings please visit the Keynsham Area Forum page on the B&NES Council website.

Current position

Current position (updated July 2025)

Further to information under recent entries in the ‘Summary’ above, for awareness due to the updated NPPF, B&NES Council’s Local Plan timeline has been ‘re-set’, with information available at https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/local-plan-reset-feb-2025, including a document titled Local Plan Reset Document.

Further to the update at SPC’s July meeting (draft minutes available on our website), the Parish Council appreciates the Leader of B&NES Council’s – Cllr Kevin Guy – invitation to meet to discuss SPC’s letter to the Deputy Prime Minister titled “New housing without compromising food security and nature”. A meeting has been arranged for August at the Guildhall, and will be attended by members of SPC’s ‘Planning Policy Working Group’ (Cllrs Jon Godfrey, David Halton, Phil Harding and Gary Graveling). A summary of the letter as sent in February 2025, and SPC’s view based on the Government’s response as received in May 2025, can be found above under ‘Timeline’.

B&NES Council’s next Local Plan Options Consultation will take place this autumn, likely October to mid-November 2025 (TBC). Residents will recall that in the first Local Plan Options Consultation, options included consultation on 1,300 new residences at ‘South Saltford’ and ‘West Saltford’. The locations of new options for development in the B&NES Council area will be shared by B&NES in Cabinet Documents to be published on 3 September (B&NES Cabinet will meet on 11 September). Residents – and SPC – will be able to respond with views when the second Local Plan Options Consultation opens in early October. Residents are welcome to attend – and speak pending time availability – at the meeting that SPC will discuss and resolve its response. This will possibly be at SPC’s November meeting (pending confirmation of consultation timings), and SPC will be sure to share information nearer the time about which agenda the Local Plan Options Consultation will be on. The draft Local Plan will then go to full B&NES Council in April or May 2026. (Further information about the second Options Consultation process as shared by B&NES Council at a briefing for Parish Councils on 2 June is available under ‘June 2025’, above, and in SPC’s June 2025 meeting minutes).

SPC has been informed about – and Cllr Jon Godfrey (SPC Chair) asked to be on the guest speaker panel – a public meeting led by B&NES Ward Councillor Duncan Hounsell. The public meeting will be for information sharing purposes, and will take place on 4 October at 7:15pm in Main Hall at Saltford Hall. All enquiries need to be directed to Ward Cllr Hounsell (not SPC – it’s not a SPC meeting), and all Saltford residents are welcome to attend.

SPC’s bid for designated landscape protection at Saltford South of the A4 remains a standing item under ‘Planning Matters’ on SPC’s agendas. SPC has a dedicated group of Councillors, the Planning Policy Working Group, who continue to work towards achieving landscape designation at Saltford South of the A4 as well as working on other Planning Policy matters that impact Saltford. Recommendations made by the working group, and any documents produced, are discussed and resolved at full council meetings. The Planning Policy Working Group last met with B&NES Council’s Planning Policy team in March 2025, for more detail please see above (under ‘Timeline – March 2025’). SPC also attended a B&NES Planning Policy meeting with all other Parish and Town Councils invited in early June, when B&NES Council engaged with local Councils ahead of the second Local Plan Options Consultation.

Updates regarding SPC’s request for landscape protection designation at ‘Saltford South of the A4’ will be included in SPC’s minutes under ‘Planning Matters’. Minutes are available on SPC’s noticeboard or on its ‘Meetings – Agendas and Minutes‘ page. An overview about Saltford Parish Council’s role regarding Planning Matters is on the Planning section of this website.

This article will be updated as-and-when information or actions arise. It will be maintained as a point of reference for SPC, and B&NES Council’s officers and Councillors, and importantly for residents.

Thank you for your interest in SPC’s request to B&NES Council to assign further landscape protection to Saltford’s Green Belt at ‘Saltford South of the A4’.

Saltford Parish Council’s Councillors, September 2023 (minus Cllr Shayan Aziz).

Protecting Saltford’s Green Belt

Summary: SPC requests landscape designation protection

Maps (inc. Local Plan proposals)

List of articles

Abbreviations & information

Timeline

Current position

2025

2024

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