A CONSULTATION will be held in Temple Cloud later this month after Bath and North East Somerset Council published proposals for new housing in the village.

The consultation will be taking place on Tuesday, October 21, at 7.45pm at Temple Cloud Village Hall, where residents will be encouraged to voice their opinions in order to shape how the parish council responds.

This comes after proposals were shared during a special cabinet meeting was held by Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Council on Thursday, September 25.

The proposals came about as the unitary authority looks to double its housing provision in order to meet government requirements.

In Temple Cloud, B&NES Council considers the north of the village, focused on the Upper Bristol Road/A37 corridor, to be the most appropriate location for planned growth.

This is due to its proximity to bus stops on the A37 and opportunities to connect to existing services.

A planning application for 65 homes in this area of Temple Cloud was refused in 2022, but the council feel that in light of the increased housing requirement it is appropriate to test growth at this location again.

The site is being tested for up to between 90 and 120 homes, but the final capacity would likely be lower due to landscape, ecological, and access constraints.

B&NES Council suggest that a strategic option on land further east could also be considered with a further capacity for 230 to 300 homes, phased to ensure infrastructure and environmental capacity is in place.

Alongside potential for housing to be built in Temple Cloud, there has also been consideration for development in the neighbouring village of Clutton.

In Clutton, there is land to the west of the A37 that has been highlighted as being suitable for development.

In their Local Plan Options Document, B&NES Council say that this location location aligns with the Neighbourhood Plan’s direction of growth and could be a strong extension to the village, though improved crossings on the A37 being required for it.

They also suggest that development at this location could support delivery of a permitted farm shop in the area.

The site could accommodate an initial phase of around 40 to 50 homes.

A more strategic approach could also be considered in order to deliver a more comprehensive extension, which would be intended to be delivered in a phased manner to align with the delivery of infrastructure.

Later phases of development would only be released when key requirements are met, including A37 crossing improvements, school and healthcare capacity, and environmental mitigation.

Further phases identified to the west of the A37, including additional housing in the range of between 320 and 430 new homes, and to the south of Stowey Road may also be explored.

The potential development on to the south of Stowey Road could have the potential to accommodate the development of 60 to 80 homes.

Any consideration of these plans would be subject to assessment, infrastructure capacity and environmental constraints.