Introduction
This guidance relates to the former local planning authority area or the specific site as referred to within each document.
Also see Supplementary Planning Documents and Creating Places for People.
Relevant to multiple areas across Somerset
- Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (Somerset)
- Travel Plans
- Exmoor and Quantocks SAC technical guidance
- Hestercombe House SAC technical guidance (Sedgemoor and Somerset West and Taunton)
- North Somerset and Mendip Bat SAC Technical Guidance (Mendip and Sedgemoor)
- Bats and onshore wind turbines: Interim guidance
- Biodiversity Checklist
- Guidance on Access, Parking and Turning
- Developer guidance for waste and recycling bin storage
- Placemaking Principles for Somerset – Adopted in October 2024
Mendip
Royal Bath and West Showground Planning Framework
- Royal Bath and West Showground Planning Framework
- Report on Trees, Woods and Hedges
- Baseline Ecology Report
- Archaeology Desktop Assessment
- Report on Infrastructure Services
- Report on Flood Risk & Drainage Strategy
- Flood Risk Assessment
- Accessibility and Car Parking Appraisal
- Environmental Desk Study Report
- Listing Buildings Guidance Document
- A Planning Guide to Installing Renewable Energy on Domestic Properties
- Installation of Broadband Equipment Checklist for Listed Buildings
Sedgemoor
- Barn Conversions Guidance
- Bristol Road North: Development Brief and Design Principles Part 1 and 2
- East of the A38 Development Brief and Design Principles
Core Strategy Policy P4 Guidance note
- P4 Guidance Note – Core Strategy Policy
- Appendix 1 Flow Chart
- Appendix 2: Interpreting the text of ‘Local Priority Housing Sites’ within Policy P4
- Appendix 3: Site Submission Form
- Appendix 4: Site Assessment Matrix
- Notes and Links
- Health Contributions Technical Note
- North East Bridgwater Strategic Design Codes
- Landscape Design Guidance
- South Bridgwater Design Guidance
- Environment Agency Local Flood Risk Standing Advice for Sedgemoor
- Bridgwater Gateway Design Principles Rev G
- East Bridgwater Development and Design Principles
- Helliers Lane Development and Design Principles
- Holwell Lane Development and Design Principles
- Isleport Lane Development and Design Principles
- J24 Huntworth Development and Design Principles
- Roundoak Farm Development and Design Principles
- West Bridgwater Development and Design Principles
- Bridgwater Gateway Development and Design Principles Optimised
Bridgwater Vision
Highbridge and Cheddar Regeneration Strategies
Sedgemoor District Council prepared comprehensive regeneration strategies for Highbridge and Cheddar that set out a long-term vision, key objectives and a range of transformation projects and opportunities. For Cheddar an accessibility strategy has been prepared setting out a range of short and longer term projects aimed at delivering sustainable transport improvements and enhanced accessibility.
These documents were adopted by Sedgemoor District Council on 14 December 2022.
Somerset West and Taunton
- Wellington Place Plan
- Firepool Masterplan
- Connecting Our Garden Communities
- Climate Positive Planning
- Net Zero Carbon Toolkit in the Somerset and West Taunton area
- First Homes – Technical Briefing Note
- Technical Advice Note – specification guide for disabled units
- Vacant Building Credit Note
- Recreational Open Space and Community Halls Note
- Sequential Test for Rural Exception Sites
- Technical note: Policy Guidance for change of use of rural service provision and conversion of existing buildings
South Somerset area
The Government removed the requirement for 25% of affordable homes to be First Homes with the revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) on 12 December 2024. Previously, the Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) from May 2021 mandated that at least 25% of all affordable housing units delivered through developer contributions should be First Homes. However, the updated NPPF explicitly states that this requirement no longer applies. Local planning authorities now have the discretion to deliver First Homes only where they judge there is a local need.