West of England Joint Spatial Plan - Publication Document

How to make your views known

Statement of Representations Procedure and Availability of Submission Document for Inspection - Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012

  1. Introduction

Thisdocument is intended to assist you to make representations on the Publication Document of the West of England Joint Spatial Plan (JSP)and explains how these should be made,as well as where the Plan and its supporting documents are also available to inspect.

  1. What is the Joint Spatial Plan (JSP)and what area does it cover?

The four West of England Councils – Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol City, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire have prepared a Joint Spatial Plan (JSP) for the West of Englandarea. Its purposeis to provide a strategic, overarching vision and framework to help deliver the number of new homes, land for employment purposes and the supporting infrastructure that we anticipate will be needed over the next 20 years. The JSP will provide a strategy to inform the review of the councils’ own Local Plans.

  1. What is the current stage of the JSP?

The JSP Publication Document consultation sets out the policies and most appropriate locations for future development and is the strategic plan that all four councils consider to be the most suitable for sustainable growth in the West of England area.

The four councils propose to submit this to the Government to beexamined by a Planning Inspector. Prior to this residents, businesses, the development sector and other stakeholders can comment on the Plan and make representations on its soundness. A formal consultation on the Plan will run from 22nd November 2017 to 10th January 2018. These views will be passed on to the Planning Inspector who will assess the Plan.

  1. Where can I read the Plan?

The Plan, supporting evidence base, topic papers and how to make comments is available at Hard copies of the Plan are available at the locations listed in the table at the end of this document.

  1. How can I comment?

The Inspector will decide whether the Plan meets a number of tests to make it “sound”. He/she will assess whether the Plan has been prepared following the correct process, which the councils are required to follow,including:

  • The Plan meets the legal requirementsi.e. it has been prepared in the right way,
  • The four councils have worked together, with key partners and organisations to prepare the Plan. This is known as the Duty to Co-operate.

He/she will then need to decide whether the Plan meets a number of tests to make it “sound”. These include:

  • Is it positively prepared?This means willthe Plan provide the right amount of new homes and infrastructure for the area in a sustainable way?
  • Is it justified? This means does the Plan set out the best way to meet these needs?
  • Is it effective? This means can the Plan be achieved in the time period and
  • Is it in line with national policy? The national planning policy is set out in the Government’s “National Planning Policy Framework”

To make comments on these mattersvisit

You can also print out and fill in the representation form online and either:

  • Email the form(s) to
  • Post your representations to West of England Joint Spatial Plan, c/o South Gloucestershire Council, Planning, PO Box 1954, Bristol BS37 0DD

To make a representation seeking a modification to the plan or part of the plan,please clearlyidentify where the plan or part of the plan is inadequate, having regard to legal compliance, the duty to cooperate and the four requirements of soundness set out above. Please also support this with evidence explaining why the plan should be modified. It will also be very helpful if youspecifically describe how the plan should be modified.

Your representations should succinctly cover all the information, evidence and supporting information necessary to support/justify the representation and the suggested modification, as there will be limited opportunity to expand on this unless the Planning Inspector specifically requests it.

Where groups share a common view on how they wish to see a plan modified, it would be very helpful for that group to send a single representation which represents the view, rather than a large number of individuals sending in separate representations which repeat the same points. In such case of a common view, the group should indicate how many people it is representing and how the representation has been authorised.

Please fill in a separate form for each part of the Plan you want to comment on.

Please note that the comments you make will be sent to the Planning Inspector and will be published online at be publically available.[1]

  1. When is the deadline for commenting on the Plan?

All comments must be received no later than Wednesday 10thJanuary 2018.Comments received after the 10th January will be treated as late responses. We will inform the Inspector of any late responses and it will be for the Inspector to decide if they are to be considered.

  1. What happens next?

Your comments will be registered and you will be allocated a reference number. Please use this in any future correspondence.

A summary report, including the number of comments received and the key issues raised during the engagement period will be made available after the consultation period.

Once the Planning Inspector is appointed you will be contacted to ask if you would like to be involved in the Examination in Public. There will be further guidance available on what you need to do in due course.

  1. How can I get updates on the progress of the Plan?

If you let us know this when you make a comment, then we can update you when:-

  • The Plan is submitted for examination
  • The Planning Inspector has published their findings (“Inspectors report”)
  • The Plan is finalised and formally “adopted” by the four councils.
  1. The Examination

Please use the Representation Form to let us know if you want to speak to the Inspector at the Examination.If no-one uses their right to speak to the Inspector, the Inspector may choose to carry out the whole Examination using written representations.

The majority of representations will be considered by way of written representations. Written representations are an efficient way for the majority of representations to be dealt with and carry equal weight to those heard in person by the Inspector. The nature of the Examination will depend in part on the extent to which those submitting representations feel that it is necessary to explain their representation to the Inspector in person.

  1. How can I get further information?

The Plan,supporting evidence base and topic papers are available onlineat

Information about Government planning policy can be found at

Frequently Asked Questions on the Joint Spatial Plan - Publication Document are available at

If you have any other questions or if you would like further information please contact

Locations where copies of theJoint Spatial Plan can be viewed

Bath & North East Somerset / Bristol / North Somerset / South Gloucestershire
Bath Central Library, 19-23 The Podium, Northgate Street, Bath, BA1 5AN / Avonmouth Library, Avonmouth Road, Bristol BS11 9EN / Castlewood, Tickenham Road Clevedon,BS21 6FW / Bradley Stoke Library, Fiddlers Wood Lane, Bradley Stoke, South Gloucestershire, BS32 9BS
Chew Stoke Community Library, The Bilbie Room, The Stoke Inn, Bristol Road, Chew Stoke, BS40 8XE / Bedminster Library, Bedminster Parade, Bristol, BS3 4AQ / Clevedon Library,37 Old Church Road, Clevedon, BS21 6NN / Cadbury Heath Library, School Road, Cadbury Heath, South Gloucestershire, BS30 8EN
Combe Hay Community Library, Combe Hay Parish Church, Combe Hay, Bath, BA2 7EG / Bishopston Library, Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 8BN / Congresbury Community Library, Station Road, Congresbury, BS49 5DX / Chipping Sodbury Library, High Street, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol, BS37 6AH
Keynsham Library & One Stop Shop, Keynsham Civic Centre, BS31 1FS / Bishopsworth Library, Bishopsworth Road, Bedminster Down, Bristol, BS13 7LN / Long Ashton Library,Lovelinch Gardens, Long Ashton, BS41 9AH / Downend Library, Buckingham Gardens, Downend, South Gloucestershire, BS16 5TW
Larkhall Community Library, New Oriel Hall, Brookline Buildings, Lark hall, Bath, BA1 BRA / Bristol Central Library, Deanery Road, City Centre, Bristol, BS1 5TL / Nailsea Library, Somerset Square, Nailsea, BS48 1RQ / Emersons Green Library, Emerson Way, Emersons Green, South Gloucestershire, BS16 7AP
Midsomer Norton Library, 119 High Street, Midsomer Norton, BA3 2DA / City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR / Pill Library and Childrens Centre, Crockerne House, Underbanks, Pill, BS20 0AT / Filton Library, Shield Retail Park, Link Road, Filton, South Gloucestershire, BS34 7BR
Moorland Road, Library, Bath, BA2 3PL / Clifton Library, Princess Victoria Street, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4BX / Portishead Library, Horatio House, 24 Harbour Road, Portishead, BS20 7AL / Hanham Library, High Street, Hanham, South Gloucestershire, BS15 3EJ
One Stop Shop, Lewis House, Manvers Street, Bath, BA1 1JG / Filwood Library, Filwood Broadway, Knowle, Bristol, BS4 1JN / The Campus library, Highlands Lane, Locking Castle, Weston-super-Mare, BS24 7DX / Kingswood Library, High Street, Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, BS15 4AR
Paulton Library @ THE HUB, 1-2 Hill Court, High Street, Paulton, BS39 7QG / Fishponds Library,Hockeys Lane, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3HL / Town Hall,Walliscote Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 / Kingswood One Stop Shop, Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood BS15 9TR
Radstock Library, The Street, Radstock, BA3 3PR / Hartcliffe Library, Peterson Avenue, Hartcliffe, Bristol, BS13 0BE / Winscombe Library, 23 Woodborough Road, Winscombe, BS25 1AB / Patchway Library - Patchway Hub, Rodway Road, Patchway, BS34 5PE
Saltford Library, 478a Bath Road, Saltford, BS31 3DJ / Henbury Library, Crow Lane, Henbury, Bristol, BS10 7DR / Worle Library and Childrens Centre, Mendip Avenue, Worle, Weston-super-Mare, BS22 6HN / Patchway One Stop Shop, The Patchway Hub, Rodway Road, Patchway BS34 5PE
Southside Community Library, Southside Youth Hub, Kelston View, Whiteway, Bath, BA2 1NR / Henleaze Library, Northumbria Drive, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4HP / Yatton Library, 48 High Street, Yatton, BS49 4HJ / Staple Hill Library, Broad Street, Staple Hill, South Gloucestershire, BS16 5LS
The Hollies, High St, Midsomer Norton, BA3 2DT / Hillfields Library,Summerleaze, Speedwell, Bristol, BS16 4HL / Thornbury Library, St Mary Street, Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, BS35 2AA
Weston Library, Bath, Church Street, Weston, Bath, BA1 ABU / Horfield Library, Filton Avenue, Horfield, Bristol, BS7 0BD / Winterbourne Library,Flaxpits Lane, Winterbourne, South Gloucestershire, BS36 1LA
Junction 3 Library, Baptist Mills Court, Easton Bristol, BS5 0FJ / Yate Library, 44 West Walk, Yate, South Gloucestershire, BS37 4AX
Knowle Library, Broad Walk Knowle, Bristol, BS4 2QU / Yate One Stop Shop, Kennedy Way, Yate BS37 4DQ
Lockleaze Library, Cameron Walk, Lockleaze, Bristol, BS7 9XB
Marksbury Road Library,Marksbury Road, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 5LG
Redland Library, Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2PY
Sea Mills Library, Sylvan Way, Sea Mills, Bristol, BS9 2NA
Shirehampton Library, Station Road, Shirehampton, Bristol, BS11 9TU
Southmead Library, Greystoke Avenue, Southmead, Bristol, BS10 6AS
St George Library, Church Road, St George, Bristol, BS5 8AL
St Pauls Library, Grosvenor Road, St Pauls, Bristol, BS2 8XJ
Stockwood Library, Stockwood Road, Stockwood, Bristol, BS14 8PL
Westbury Library, Falcondale Rd, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS9 3JZ
Whitchurch Library, Oatlands Avenue, Whitchurch, Bristol, BS14 0SX
Wick Road Library, Wick Road, Brislington, Bristol, BS4 4HE

West of EnglandJointSpatialPlan - Publication: Statement of Representations Procedure

[1]The information collected as part this consultation will also be used by the four Councils in accordance with the data protection principles in the Data Protection Act 1998. The purposes for collecting this data are: to assist in the making of this plan; and to contact you, if necessary, regarding the planning consultation process. Some of the data may be made public as it will form part of the evidence base used to inform the creation of the Joint Spatial Plan. The above purposes may require public disclosure of any data received on the representation form, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.