I HOPE you were able to make the best of the summer.

Looking ahead to the autumn, I want to outline the significant work that is underway on the future shape of our area. In October we will begin a consultation asking for your views on how Bath & North East Somerset will look over the next decade – focusing on housing, areas of employment growth and how we travel around.

A Local Plan Options document will go before the cabinet in September and, if agreed, will then go out for public consultation. This is a vital first step towards a final Local Plan, which will establish the planning framework for Bath & North East Somerset up to 2042.

All councils are legally required to produce Local Plans. These plans contain a vision, strategy and policies to guide and manage how a district grows and changes over the next 15 to 20 years, and how planning applications for new development are decided. We will update you on this process over the coming months. Please check our website - www.bathnes.gov.uk/local-plan - and social media for more detail on how you can get involved and have your say.

In the meantime, we have boldly set out our high expectations of property developers. This is about leadership: making it known that development for private profit must be matched by tangible investment in our communities. We will seek increased financial contributions from developers, which could be used to provide home to school transport, GP surgeries, Early Years provision and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision.

Getting the right homes in the right places is a top priority for the council. The lack of housing for many young people was front and centre at the Bath & North East Somerset Housing Summit. Tackling this and improving the supply of affordable homes in our area will require making long-term changes.

Every empty property that can be brought back into use becomes someone’s home. Some 943 properties in B&NES have been empty for more than six months, 454 of these for more than a year. The council is helping empty property owners to bring their homes back into use, with 96 homes becoming occupied again in the past year.

I am proud that Ofsted rated Bath & North East Somerset Council Children’s Services as Good. This a testament to the hard work and dedication of our children’s services team, and I want to thank them for their commitment to doing their best for our area’s children. The team was especially commended for spending quality time with children and making sure they receive the right help.

Speeding motorcycles and cars are a growing problem in the Valley. The recent death of a motorcyclist in a crash involving three vehicles was a tragic and pointless loss of life.

Thanks to your Ward Councillors Anna Box’s and Dave Harding’s continuing efforts, the police are putting more resources into resolving this dangerous problem, identifying offenders and issuing drivers with penalty notices.