A COUNCIL is using a converted ice cream van to whip up more engagement in a major consultation on where thousands of homes should be built.

The van with a plan is a rented ice cream van from marketing agency iMP who know it as “Vanessa.”

Bath and North East Somerset Council is using a repurposed 1990 Mr Whippy-style ice cream van, with a new bright orange livery, to take its consultation on its 448 page “local plan options document” on tour around the local area. The “van with a plan” is making 56 stops over 18 days across the district.

Matt McCabe, the council’s cabinet member responsible for built environment, housing, and sustainable development said: “Please look out for events in your area as well as information on our website and the council’s social media channels. We want to create as many opportunities both online and in person as possible for you to have your say.”

A local plan is a hugely important document councils are required to produce that sets out their planning policies and allocates where developments should be built. Bath and North East Somerset Council’s new local plan will run until 2043 and the council is currently consulting on the options for which areas to allocate for development under the plan.

Mr McCabe said: “We all know there is an overwhelming need for more affordable housing locally. Across B&NES, the average house price is around twelve times the average workplace earnings and in Bath it is nineteen. The housing affordability crisis not only affects people’s quality of life; it directly impacts the local economy.

“We also know we need to create sustainable communities, protect the district’s unique character and address the climate and ecological emergency. It is a challenge we all need to recognise and so the consultation on options that are being put forward is a vital first step to getting your views.”

The council previously consulted on where to include in 2024, but is now running the consultation again with new sites after the government doubled its housing target. It will now need to build more than 27,000 homes by 2043. Until the council has a local plan in place, the council has far less power to refuse developments in unwanted areas. But allocating enough space to hit its housebuilding target means designating huge areas of North East Somerset for new housing.

The council itself has proposed four large sites at Hicks Gate, Keynsham North, West of Bath, and North of Midsomer Norton: areas where the council says West of England’s growth strategy will make more funding available for supporting investment. But the options documents also includes proposals from developers. Developer proposals to allocate land around Whitchurch for thousands of homes promoted locals to hold a public meeting over fears the new housing could effectively join the village to Bristol.

The consultation on the local plan options document runs until November 14.

People can respond to the consultation online here: bathnesplaces.co.uk/localplan