SUPPORTING the many communities in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NE) to thrive is in all our interests.

This autumn, we are seeking your views on how you want your community to develop over the next 15 to 20 years. Options being put forward include bringing housing, transport, business space, infrastructure and public spaces together to shape better places and create more jobs for the future.

Last year B&NES Council consulted on our earlier ambitious target of 14,000 new homes over twenty years. The council has reset its Local Plan Options Report after the Government almost doubled the target to 27,000 over eighteen years. While this is a major challenge for us, it is also a once-in-a-generation opportunity to chart a course of positive development for our district.

The housing affordability crisis not only affects people’s quality of life; it impacts our local economy. My ambition is to see the right homes in the right places, with good transport options and sustainable growth leading to the creation of more and better jobs.

Having a Local Plan enables the council to coordinate the delivery of high-quality development and infrastructure, protecting what makes B&NES special. Without a Local Plan, we risk speculative development in less sustainable areas, in an unplanned way, without adequate infrastructure.

To ensure that growth is matched with the facilities and services communities need, the council’s proposed updates to Planning Obligations guidance prioritises investment in GP surgeries, schools and transport.

The Local Plan Options consultation must test all ‘reasonable alternatives’ for potential development. For this reason, potential sites which may not be suitable are included. That’s why we need your local knowledge to inform the consultation. You need to let us know whether you think a potential site is suitable or not, and why.

Taking part in the Local Plan Options public consultation ensures that your voice is heard. The consultation runs to November 14. You can share your views in a range of ways, for example in-person at pop-up events, briefings and conversations as well as online. For the latest information on the consultation and how to take part, visit bathnesplaces.co.uk/localplan

The council’s emergency services are always ready to respond when the need arises. They do whatever it takes to keep residents safe, but they don’t always get the recognition they deserve. For example, when a large fuel oil spill took place on a section of the A37 between Pensford and Chelwood a few weeks ago, officers from the council’s highways teams, police and the fire service attended the scene. The road had to be closed with diversions put in place. Urgent resurfacing works had to be carried out before the road could be reopened. Our highways teams worked into the night to get the road resurfaced and reopened two days later. I want to thank the highways team and other services for keeping our residents safe. The council will seek to recover the cost of the repair works from the company responsible for the spill.