The council is reviewing its draft Local Plan following the launch of a consultation on the government’s proposed planning reforms.

The draft plan, subjected to four rounds of public consultation since 2020, was scheduled for its final stage later this year before being submitted for an independent examination.

North Somerset Council has put the consultation process on hold, pending consideration of the updated government guidance and any further work that may be required.

Councillor Mark Canniford, executive member for spatial planning, placemaking, and economy at the North Somerset Council, said: “The government’s planning reforms have major implications for our proposed Local Plan.

“The new standard method is 23,805 dwellings in North Somerset over the next 15 years – that’s nearly 9,000 dwellings more than our current Local Plan target.

"This figure also doesn’t take into account the needs of our neighbours, as the government has asked all councils to work together to jointly address unmet need.

“In light of this, we will not be proceeding with our planned final consultation on the Local Plan.

"We’re working hard to review our draft plan in the light of the government’s announcements, and hope to progress this as quickly as we can."

He said the council supports the government’s commitment to growth and meeting the housing needs of the communities, but emphasised the council's aim to create a Local Plan that reflects the needs of their environment.

He said: "Around 85 per cent of our land is at risk from flooding, part of the Mendip Hills landscape, high-quality Green Belt or protected in other ways for environmental or heritage reasons.

"This is a practical geographic constraint on the amount of development that’s possible in North Somerset.

“New homes also need to be supported with the right infrastructure, so communities have access to the services they want and need.

"We want to make sure that infrastructure challenges are being met before we consider further development.

“It’s really important that we get our Local Plan right, as this will shape development in our area for the next 15 years.”