Chamber has its say on Local Plan

We have sent the following response to the Local Plan on behalf of members to the Leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, the Chief Executive and the Executive Director responsible for Planning.

Our members represent more than forty businesses in the Chew Valley who have a keen interest in the way the area develops over time. Consequently, we believe it is important their voice is considered during the future consultation over the Local Plan.

We acknowledge the national need for more housing, since its lack can be an obstacle to economic growth. The same is true for our rural area, where more housing and employment space is desirable.

In particular, our members are keen to see a good proportion of both affordable and social housing in the mix when it comes to building new properties. It is important for the continued viability of our villages that young people, brought up in the Chew Valley, have the chance to be able to live in their own homes and raise families in the place they know best.

Likewise, the availability of local jobs is a vital element in preserving rural life, so an increase in workspace is something our Chamber strongly supports, to enable businesses to establish and flourish, providing employment close to where people live, reducing the need to commute long distances and establishing a long term sustainable local economy.

There will always be strong feelings about particular sites and we do not take a view on where it is proposed future developments should take place. However, we are concerned that plans should be proportionate to the villages in which they are sited. Gradual organic development is one thing, but overly large proposals are another.

We believe it is important to preserve the historic identity of our villages which should not have their characters suddenly and artificially altered. We are also concerned about pressures on local infrastructure, such as water and sewage, schools, traffic and parking, doctors and dentists to name but a few.

Finally, we would like to draw attention to the challenges of building very large numbers of houses at a time when there is a lack of capacity. The costs of labour and materials are also rising sharply, which will impact profitability, especially in light of the need for substantial numbers of social and affordable housing, which may mean an enforced need to stage developments over a longer time frame than is set out in the Plan.