Initial HELAA Report – What It Tells Us (and What It Doesn’t)
The Initial HELAA Report brings together all sites submitted during the previous Call for Sites period and provides a high-level technical assessment of their potential for future development. Its purpose is to evaluate the potential suitability, availability and achievability of each site, forming part of the evidence base for the emerging Local Plan.
It is important to understand what the HELAA does not do.
It:
- Does not allocate sites
- Does not grant planning permission
- Does not confer planning status of any kind
This stage is deliberately undertaken on a ‘policy off’ basis. This means that while some high-level constraints are considered (such as flood risk or environmental designations), adopted Local Plan policies are not applied. As a result, no site is labelled as conclusively 'suitable'. The most positive outcome a site can achieve is 'potentially suitable', 'available' and “'achievable'.
Because of the high-level nature of the document it is clearly presented as an Initial HELAA Report forming part of the evidence base for the preparation of Somerset Council’s new Local Plan.
Call for Sites Re-Opened
Alongside the HELAA publication, Somerset Council has re-opened the Call for Sites, allowing landowners, developers and agents to submit additional sites for consideration. The portal will remain open on a rolling basis, although it is expected to close again ahead of the next Local Plan consultation.
For those considering promoting land for housing, employment or mixed-use development, this is an important opportunity to ensure further sites are included in the next round of assessment, if they missed the initial Call for Sites in January-February 2025.
Somerset Local Plan Scoping Consultation Now Live
The Council has also launched the Local Plan Scoping Consultation (Regulation 20) - the first statutory stage of plan-making under the new national system that took effect from March 2026. This consultation invites views on the scope and direction of the new Somerset Local Plan, rather than detailed policies or site allocations.
The Council is seeking feedback on three core documents:
- Scope of the Somerset Local Plan - what the plan will cover
- Local Plan Engagement Plan - how people and organisations will be involved
- Local Plan Vision and Outcomes - what Somerset should aim to achieve over the next 20 years
In addition, several early evidence papers are open for comment:
- Spatial Strategy Topic Paper - exploring options for where development could be located
- Role and Function of Settlements Topic Paper - assessing how towns and villages operate, including their services and sustainability
- Sustainability Appraisal of Spatial Strategy Options - comparing how different growth patterns perform against key environmental, social and economic objectives
These initial documents will help shape the emerging strategy and provide a foundation for future decisions. The consultation will run for 5 weeks until Friday 24 July 2026.
Why This Matters
The new Local Plan will influence where new homes, employment land, infrastructure and community facilities are delivered across Somerset. It will also shape how the county responds to climate change, supports economic growth, and protects its natural and historic environment. This is the moment when residents, businesses, landowners and community groups can meaningfully influence the direction of the new Local Plan.
