In 2019 South Somerset District Council held a consultation to update it’s Local Development Plan for the period 2016-2036. Part of that plan covers how to ensure that the right number of the right type of houses can be provided across the area. The outcome of the consultation provided a ‘preferred options document’ to be considered by the Council for potential adoption as the 2016-2036 Local Plan.
Due to the change of Governance across Somerset in which the District Councils and Somerset County Council were superseded by the new Somerset Unitary Council those plans were never adopted. The preferred options document is likely to be used as a starting point as a new Somerset Plan is created in the coming months.
On item which could affect our Parish was a proposed change in the Settlement Hierarchy – this is how the Major towns, Market Towns, Rural Centres and other settlements are classified depending on a number of factors. Rural Settlement are covered by Policy SS4 which restricts housing development
The ‘preferred options document’ can be downloaded from this link but please be aware it is a 250 page document with Section 5 covering the Settlement Hierarchy. Briefly, the document suggests the creation of a new category in the hierarchy called ‘Villages’ and along with another eleven settlements Abbas and Templecombe would be placed in that category. The Policy SS4 would not be applicable to the Village category and it is likely more development could occur in those places.
Abbas and Templecombe Parish Council objected to this reclassification in 2019 and the document can be read here
Another location Keinton Mandeville has recently developed a response to the proposed Policy to Designate Rural Settlements into Villages. The document can be read here