 The Somerset Local Plan timetable came into effect on 24 April 2026, alongside the Notice of Intention to Commence. Both were approved by the Planning and Transport Policy Sub Committee on 8 April 2026.
The timetable sets out the key stages and timescales for preparing the Somerset Local Plan. It provides clarity on how the plan will be developed and helps ensure we meet our legal duties for plan making.
In November 2025, the government published guidance on the new plan‑making system. Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Regulations have overhauled the stages of consultation and plan production, introducing a new 30‑month timetable.
 The Somerset Local Housing Needs Assessment (LHNA) provides up‑to‑date evidence on the amount and type of housing needed across Somerset between 2025 and 2045.
It assesses overall housing need, affordable housing need, and the needs of specific groups, including older people and people with disabilities. The LHNA is an evidence document and does not set housing targets or planning policies.
The assessment will inform the Somerset Local Plan 2045, support decisions on the mix of homes needed, and help shape affordable housing, older persons’ housing and accessible homes.
 The Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) looks at the accommodation needs now and in the future for the Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople community.
This technical document gathers and analyses a combination of desk-based research, stakeholder interviews, and engagement with members of the travelling community. The GTAA is used to inform decisions with regard to residential and transit accommodation for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople.
The Local Plan will consider whether it needs to allocate further sites for residential or transit accommodation, and whether criteria-based policies would help in assessing planning applications for new or expanded sites.
 The assessment looks at how the Somerset retail economy is doing now and what it might need in the future. It provides an assessment of baseline and forecast retail and leisure expenditure and need, and provides policy recommendations based on this.
It helps us plan for the retail and leisure spaces that Somerset will need up to the year 2045. It is a technical document that gathers and analyses factual data.
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