The review of Bristol’s Local Plan is coming to its final stages. It was out to consultation in January 2024 for formal representations prior to its examination by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State. In examining the Plan, a planning inspector will assess whether the plan has been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements and if it is sound.
A central focus of a Local Plan is setting a housing target and setting out how it will be achieved. Recent government planning policy is looking to force cities to accept unachievable housing targets (via the ‘urban uplift’). But the targets have always been advisory and Bristol has set a target based on what the council thinks can realistically be achieved, looking to adjoining local authorities to help make up the outstanding numbers.
The Society has submitted five concerns about the Local Plan’s approach. For each of them, we question whether the plan is consistent with national planning policy. The five concerns cover:
- developing with local communities effective design policies reflecting local aspirations;
- assessing Bristol’s open space needs, with an increasing population, and its geographic distribution;
- sustaining inclusive communities, the displacement of established jobs from central and inner Bristol;
- assessing the carbon emissions likely to arise from the plan’s strategy and policies;
- providing an effective plan that clearly sets out how a decision maker should react to development proposals.
Alan Morris
Local Plan Review documents.
2018 Bristol Civic Society consultation response