Local Plan Updates

Your Parish Councilors represent the village with their concerns and suggestions when replying to the call for comments on the updated local plan for the Bath & North East Somerset region.

April 2026

We held a drop-in session at Village Hall on the 13th of April, where we invited all residents to attend to view maps and analyses of available development sites (all Duchy-owned land), with input from planning consultants and the PC planning team. We received fantastic feedback from this day and the village survey, allowing our consultants to further progress our village plan.

Alongside the Duchy land, a local landowner has also offered land for housing (potentially 150-350+ homes), which B&NES will now consider as an option. As a result of this offering of private land, the Duchy has, at least for now, withdrawn its offer to collaborate with the village on the development of their land.

Going forward, we will endeavor to submit a village plan that complements the village, appeasing our local authority as a viable option for the wider Local Plan.

Documents relating to plans and feedback are at the bottom of this page.

For those who couldn’t attend, documents are available at the bottom of this page.

Update 2025  – Results from the village survey have been collated and are in the process of being merged with our village plan, which will be submitted to B&NES as part of the wider local plan—many thanks to the 243 responses we received, coming from 2/3 of the village households. View the results.

As you may have read, B&NES, due to new central government changes to housing needs, is resetting the local plan options document that was consulted on last year (2024). This new options document will be presented to the council in the next few months, and then a new round of consultations will occur late summer/early autumn 2025. Please look out for communications from B&NES.

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2024 – We have held two Parish Council meetings since the public consultation was announced listening to villagers’ feedback. The BaNES consultation drop-in meeting was also held on the 13th of March, and by all accounts, was well attended.

Your councilors at this stage will be holding regular meetings with the BaNES planning team feeding back your concerns and comments.

What we have done so far.

• 19th February – 3 council members met with Nick Mould of the Duchy of Cornwall to discuss the plan and the village concerns. During this meeting, we requested the Duchy’s position on the development of their land.
  • The Duchy has approximately 6 sites across the BaNES region within the options document for the local plan
  • They do not support farmland being used for Solar developments
  • They don’t actively seek/push their land for development when entering into local plans for housing, but will not object when a need is provided without alternatives
  • When Duchy land is provided for housing, it upholds the highest standard for sustainability and design. They also include a covenant on many developments to add an element of control when property alterations are requested.
• CPRE – We have been in contact with the Campaign to Protect Rural England, and they will be assisting and releasing their response to the local plan.
• We have contacted our MP, the Rt Hon Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who will offer support and assistance before we submit the Parish Council’s response
• Please see the draft response attached. This will be discussed at the next meeting and submitted on Tuesday, 16th April

Some important updates to the Local Plan Options website to amend the Farrington Gurney options. The amendments can be accessed via the link below:

https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/local-plan-options/farrington-gurney

In summary, they have:

• Amended the indicative concept map for option A so that it no longer includes the Manor Garden land
• Amended the concept maps for both options A & B to show an indicative broader area for a new primary school now stretching further to the west
• The additional text under the mitigation required for both options A & B to make it clear that a new primary school would be required next to the community centre

The website highlights the amendments made, as well as the date they were published. In addition, the Council will be sending out comms/publicity relating to the amendment.

BaNES has received a fairly significant number of comments on the Options document already that raise concerns to which the amendments relate. These comments remain relevant, will still be considered by the Council, and will inform the next stages of the Local Plan preparation. However, if residents want to submit additional/new comments in light of the amendments then they are welcome to do so.

The Local Plan Options document (PDF version) can be accessed via the link below:

https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/document-and-policy-library/local-plan-options-consultation-documents

In addition, a web book version of the Options document (with consultation questions to respond to) is available at the link below, along with Topic papers, evidence, and other supporting documents.

https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/local-plan-options-consultation

Housing requirements by the Numbers in BANES

• 725 per annum (14,500 homes 2022-2042)
  • A significant element is student growth
  • Focus on providing affordable housing (social rent/shared ownership) and more affordable forms of market housing – align with Corporate Priorities and Economic Strategy
• Further evidence on:
  • Type, tenure, and size of housing need
  • Affordable housing – high proportion especially in Bath
  • Quantifying discounted market housing need
  • Specialist housing, including for older persons

Village survey results

The Parish council distributed a short survey to get a soundbite from the village post-release of the local plan by BaNES.  Please see the document attached for the responses.  We have summarised the comments from the 99 received.

Regarding improvements, the village strongly leans towards road infrastructure, better public transport, cycle paths, and protected green spaces.

“The village expresses various viewpoints regarding proposed housing developments in Farrington Gurney. While some residents acknowledge the need for additional housing, they emphasize the importance of preserving the village’s character and green spaces. Concerns are raised about the strain on existing infrastructure, such as public transport including roads and schools, as well as potential impacts on traffic congestion and pollution. Residents advocate for responsible development that respects the rural setting and community values. There’s also skepticism about the effectiveness of local planning authorities and a preference for consultation with residents before approving major developments. Overall, the sentiment underscores a desire to maintain Farrington Gurney’s identity while addressing housing needs thoughtfully and sustainably. Suggestions for improvement include focusing on brownfield sites, providing affordable housing for locals, and addressing existing infrastructure issues before considering further development. Overall, there’s a unified call to preserve the village’s unique identity and quality of life.”