Bath’s seven free Local Plan meetings start 15 September

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-09-08 13:59 4 min read

Group of women sitting at a table in a community meeting setting.

Bath and North East Somerset residents will have seven opportunities to hear about the Draft Local Plan between 15 September and 21 October. The free Local Plan Community Meetings begin at 5pm on 15 September, with sessions taking place online and at venues in Chew Valley and Keynsham.

The meetings are intended for residents, businesses and other local stakeholders considering how proposed housing, employment sites and infrastructure could affect the area. Joining and attendance details are available through Bath & North East Somerset Council’s website.

The events come as councillors prepare to consider whether the draft should enter a six-week public consultation. Cabinet is due to consider the plan on 10 September, with consultation expected to begin during the week commencing 14 September if approval is given.

Seven meetings across B&NES

The Local Plan will be the main agenda item at the following meetings:

Date and time	Meeting and venue
15 September, 5pm–6pm	Bath Briefing, online using Microsoft Teams
16 September, 6pm–7pm	Somer Valley Area Forum, online using Microsoft Teams
21 September, 12pm–1pm	Bath Briefing, online using Microsoft Teams
22 September, 6pm–7pm	Bathavon Area Forum, online using Microsoft Teams
23 September, 6pm–7.30pm	Chew Valley Area Forum, The Library at Chew Valley School, BS40 8QB
24 September, 6.30pm–7.30pm	Keynsham Area Forum, Community Space, 5 Temple Street, BS31 1HA
21 October, 6.30pm–8.30pm	Parish Liaison, Community Space, 5 Temple Street, BS31 1HA

Links and login information for the Microsoft Teams sessions are being provided on the council website. The online meetings will also be recorded and made available through the council’s YouTube channel.

The council notice does not specify transport arrangements or accessibility provision for the physical venues. Anyone who needs those details should check the meeting information published by the council before travelling.

Bath’s seven free Local Plan meetings start 15 September

Meeting discussions are not formal consultation responses

Residents can use the sessions to learn what is proposed and hear the Local Plan discussed, but expressing a view during a meeting will not replace a formal consultation response.

Once the consultation opens, the Draft Local Plan will be available for review through the council’s consultation website. Comments must be submitted through that formal process. Every response received will then be passed to the Planning Inspectorate with the plan.

At this stage, responses should address whether the Draft Local Plan is sound and ready for independent examination. This will be the final opportunity to comment before the document is submitted to the inspectorate.

Other areas are holding comparable planning sessions, including free Local Plan exhibitions in Greater Cambridge, although Bath and North East Somerset residents must respond through the B&NES consultation process.

Housing targets have changed the scale of the plan

The plan is intended to guide where homes, jobs and supporting infrastructure could be delivered across Bath and North East Somerset over the next two decades. That supporting infrastructure includes schools, healthcare, transport and community facilities.

An earlier options consultation identified land for 14,000 homes over 20 years. The government’s revised requirement calls for the council to identify land for 27,324 homes over 18 years, nearly twice the figure considered during the 2024 consultation.

The current draft proposes allocations capable of meeting around 80% of that revised requirement. It has been shaped by responses from residents, businesses, developers, landowners, community organisations and other stakeholders.

Council leader Kevin Guy said the authority needed to plan for housing alongside the services and infrastructure required by growing communities. Matt McCabe, cabinet member for built environment, housing and sustainable development, said the plan must balance housing demand with infrastructure, environmental protection and the area’s distinctive characteristics.

How residents can take part

Attendance is free, but the council directs residents to its website for individual meeting and online access details. People wishing to influence the plan should also follow the separate instructions on the consultation website once the six-week process opens.

The decisive action is the formal submission: meeting attendance can help residents understand the proposals, but only consultation responses will accompany the Draft Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate.

Source: Bath and North East Somerset Council Newsroom

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

Meeting dates, venues and consultation instructions were checked against the Bath & North East Somerset Council notice published on 2 September 2026.

Checks

Checked all seven listed meeting dates and times.
Distinguished online meetings from the physical venues in Chew Valley and Keynsham.
Confirmed that meeting comments do not replace a formal consultation response.
Kept the consultation opening conditional on cabinet approval.

Bath and North East Somerset Council Newsroom Check wider coverage