B&NES Council met on 4 March 2013 to agree changes to its Core Strategy to meet queries from the Planning Inspector. The Council agreed new housing numbers (12,700) and 7 sites across the district including, adjacent to Bath, the following: Odd Down/Southstoke plateau, Lower Weston and the Royal High School playing field at Lansdown (though excluding the adjacent Kingswood playing fields).
The Trust, while recognising the urgent need for a compliant Core Strategy to avoid rogue planning applications, expressed regret that the Council had not defended land designated as Green Belt, AONB or the setting of the World Heritage Site. Since it is through these designations the World Heritage is supposedly protected, we will be arguing to the Inspector that their policies could be seen as inconsistent with national planning policy. The changes to the Core Strategy will go out for consultation at the end of March.