Introduction
The first Somerset Local Plan Call for Sites ran for 6 weeks from 13 January 2025 to 24 February 2025.
During this time, landowners, developers, and site promoters were invited to submit land they want to develop to the Council. This process is crucial for gathering information to help create the new Somerset Local Plan, following national policy and guidance.
Interim Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) Report
In 2025 we ran our first Local Plan Call for Sites for 6 weeks from 13 January 2025 to 24 February 2025. Following this, we have undertaken assessments of sites received, alongside other sources of sites. These are contained within the Interim HELAA Report (2026).
The HELAA is a high‑level technical study with the purpose of evaluating the potential suitability, availability, and achievability of identified sites for future development. The HELAA forms the initial stage of the site assessment process and provides an evidence base for the preparation of Somerset Council’s new Local Plan. The report sets out:
- What the HELAA is, why we do it, it’s role and status and how it links with other parts of the planning process (Sections 4 and 5);
- The methodology used (Section 6); and
- Assessment outcomes (Section 7).
The best way to review the sites assessed in relation to a specific development type is by using the maps in Section 7. However, to browse all outcomes for all assessed sites you can view maps of these in Appendix A.
Please see the disclaimer at Section 1 for key important information on the report, its outputs and the mapping resources within.
The HELAA process sits as a first stage in the wider Local Plan site selection process. It does not allocate sites or grant them planning permission or planning status of any kind. It is a ‘policy off’ assessment which means that it considers some high-level constraints, but ignores adopted plan policy constraints at this stage. Given it is high-level in nature and uses a ‘policy off’ approach, the report is deliberately badged as an ‘Initial HELAA Report’. No sites are labelled as conclusively ‘suitable’, and the best a site can come out as is ‘potentially suitable’, ‘available’ and ‘achievable’.
Call for Sites 2026
The current Call for Sites was launched in June 2026 to enable further sites to be submitted. This round will close on 30 November 2026.
If you are planning on submitting a site, you must now do so by the 30 November 2026 for it to be included in the updated HELAA Report or in consideration for the Local Plan. If a site was previously submitted in the 2025 Call for Sites, then it does not need to be submitted again.
To submit a site please go to our Call for Sites portal.
During this time, landowners, developers, and site promoters are invited to submit land they want to develop to the Council. This process is crucial for gathering information to help create the new Somerset Local Plan, following national policy and guidance.
The Council will be closing the Call for Sites on 30 November 2026 to allow clarity on available sites to be assessed. These assessments will inform an updated HELAA Report, and will help decide which sites might be considered in future consultations for the new Local Plan. However, the Call for Sites is just one of many ways we gather information for this process.
The updated HELAA Report is expected to be published alongside the next stage of Local Plan consultation, currently planned for September 2027. Visit Local Plan Timetable for more details.
The Submission Guidance, below, explains more about the process and submission information requirements. The guidance also includes a full list of the questions asked in the submission survey.
Next steps
We will assess each site’s suitability, availability, and achievability. We will use a staged method that combines automated and officer-led assessments based on various criteria. This process will help filter and prioritise sites for detailed assessment. The method used to assess sites will be published along with a report summarising the assessment outcomes.
If further information is required, then officers may get in touch with site submitters to seek this information, but generally, assessments will be made based on the submitted information. We will not meet with specific site submitters or promoters to discuss their Call for Sites submissions. If sites from this process are considered as potential options for the local plan, meetings may be considered then.
Site submitters will not get individual feedback on their submissions. However, there will be combined assessment summaries in the overall report when it is published.
These assessments will help decide which sites might be considered in future consultations for the new Local Plan. However, the Call for Sites is just one of many ways we gather information for this process.