Somerset Council is reviewing more than 1,600 sites across the county that have been put forward for potential housing and employment development as part of the early stages of its new Local Plan.

The council has closed its 'call for sites' and is now processing submissions through its housing and employment land availability assessment (HELAA), a technical evidence base that identifies land that may be "potentially suitable" or "unsuitable" for future development.

A council spokesperson said the HELAA "forms part of the evidence base for the Local Plan" and "will include details of all the sites submitted". They emphasised that inclusion in the HELAA "does not give any status to the site in terms of the potential for future allocation in the draft Local Plan nor any weight in decision‑making".

The new Local Plan will replace several older plans inherited from previous councils in April 2023 and will cover all of Somerset apart from Exmoor National Park.

What happens next

The HELAA is expected to be published in the spring, after which the council will undertake more detailed assessments of sites that may merit further consideration.

The first round of public consultation on the draft Local Plan — including proposed site allocations and policies — is expected to begin in April, with a further consultation due in autumn 2027.

Following the autumn consultation, the council plans to submit the Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate in January 2028. Public hearings may follow later that year, with the inspector's final report expected in February 2029 and council adoption by late March 2029.

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The process comes amid ongoing challenges in delivering new housing in Somerset, including the phosphates issue affecting developments on the Somerset Levels and Moors and a government increase of around 41 per cent in housing targets.

Reporting: LDRS/Daniel Mumby

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