Have your say on the Local Plan

Wiltshire Council are currently consulting residents on the Wiltshire Local Plan, with an online event focusing on the parish of Bradford on Avon taking place on Monday 25^th January between 7-8pm.

What is the Local Plan?

The Local Plan is a Wiltshire Council document that describes how housing needs will be met at county and local level up to 2036. It provides an indication of the quantity of new houses that will need to be built, and possible sites that they could be built on. It will guide both developers, Wiltshire Council and Town and Parish Councils in assessing new sites and planning applications.

Why is it important to have your say?

The Local Plan will directly affect how much additional housing Bradford on Avon is expected to accommodate within the town boundary over the next 15 years, and also in nearby areas such as Trowbridge and Hilperton. This in turn will affect local services and infrastructure, such as roads, schools, health provision and shops.

As a resident, your views are important to that exercise; it’s your town, and this is your opportunity to help decide how it will develop over the coming decades.

Initial sites that Wiltshire Council have noted as potential development sites include Woolley Allotments, land adjacent to Holt Road, and the Golf Course. These areas differ from the areas of opportunity identified in the adopted Neighbourhood Plan.

How does this affect the Neighbourhood Plan?

The adopted Neighbourhood Plan runs until 2026. Work is underway to monitor and revise that plan, and develop a future version running up to 2036.  The Local Plan under consultation covers that later period, and any revised or future Neighbourhood Plan will need to take account of the requirements of the new Local Plan.

How to get involved

• Attend Wiltshire Council’s online event on Monday 25^th January. You can register HERE
• Submit comments to Wiltshire Council on the Local Plan HERE – the deadline for submitting comments is 9th March 2021.
• More info on alternative ways to comment to Wiltshire Council on the Local Plan can be found HERE

Further Resources are listed below: