Issue 3 - December 2023

Introduction

New Chief Planning Officer for Somerset Council

After a number of months of transitioning over to the new Unitary Authority, I am pleased to introduce myself as the new Chief Planning Officer for Somerset Council. Many of you will know me already as I was previously the Assistant Director for Strategic Place for Somerset West and Taunton Council.

For those that don’t, I am a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) (and am a current elected member of the General Assembly of the RTPI) and have over 30 years’ experience across the public and private sectors. I have previously worked at senior management level to deliver in a number of authorities including Epping Forest District and the London Borough of Haringey. I also have worked as a Consultant Planning Inspector and as an Investigator at the Local Government Ombudsman. 

This has been a difficult time for the service in many respects with the bringing together of 4 Districts and the County into one (and still operating with 6 different IT systems). The initial focus has been to seek to ensure the recruitment and retention of staff (against a national backdrop of a shortage of planners) and to seek to ensure that the service is integrated and consistent in its delivery across the whole of Somerset. We are currently also reviewing our preapplication and planning performance agreement offer with a view to amending it and reviewing the charges - as part of this the aim is for a more integrated service with colleagues from highways, ecology, the lead local flood authority and other service areas across the Council with a focus on ensuring good placemaking and high quality design in the developments across Somerset.  At the same time we are starting on the preparation of the new Local Plan for Somerset and you will hear more about that next year.

While it has been an uncertain time in many respects we can look optimistically towards 2024 and I hope a strengthened service.

Alison Blom-Cooper BSc MPhil MRTPI           

Head of Planning/Chief Planning Officer

Neighbourhood Plan updates

Kingston St Mary Neighbourhood Plan

Kingston St Mary Parish Council has submitted a Neighbourhood Plan to us.

The Plan sets out a vision for the future development and policies which may be used to determine planning applications in the Parish of Kingston St Mary.

Consultation on The Plan is running until Thursday 11 January 2024.

North Curry Neighbourhood Plan

North Curry Parish Council wrote to us asking for a Neighbourhood Area to be designated.

That area is the whole of the parish and was designated on 30 November 2023 and is published on our website.

Oake Neighbourhood Plan

Oake Parish Council is consulting on their draft Neighbourhood Plan until 6 January 2024.

Visit Oake Parish Council's website for details and documents.

Puriton Neighbourhood Plan

Following publicising the submission version of the Puriton Neighbourhood Plan (1 November 2023 to 14 December 2023), an independent examination will be arranged to take place in early 2024.

Visit our Puriton Neighbourhood Plan – submission webpage for copies of the submitted documentation.

Neighbourhood Plan Referenda

Two Plans heading to Referenda Ruishton & Thornfalcon Neighbourhood Plan and Wells Neighbourhood Plan will be subject to a local referendum on 25 January 2024.

The date and information will appear on our Neighbourhood Plans in Production webpage in due course.

If you have any questions about Neighbourhood Planning, email localplanningpolicy@somerset.gov.uk.

Consultations

Draft Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Guidance Note update

Public consultation on our draft Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Guidance Note closed on Monday 4 December. Thank you to everyone who submitted responses!

We're now in the process of reviewing and analysing responses to understand whether any amendments are required to the Guidance Note before we take it forward for adoption.

In addition to this, the Government finally, on 29 November published the much anticipated BNG regulations and national guidance, which set out how the national mandatory BNG requirement will be brought into force in England and how key aspects of the process will work.

It's understood that the requirement will come in for major development in January 2024, though the exact date is dependent upon Parliamentary timetabling, to be confirmed in the coming weeks. We're now working through the regulations and national guidance to ensure that the final Guidance Note is well informed and consistent.

Visit Biodiversity net gain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for more information.