00:00For people in Keynesham, the question of where future housing should go has suddenly become
00:05very real. Across almost every side of the town, large areas have been highlighted as
00:10potential sites for new homes in Bath and North East Somerset Council's latest local
00:14plan consultation.
00:17It's a long-term strategy that will guide planning decisions right through to 2043.
00:21The council must show it can meet its target of 27,000 new homes across the district during
00:25that period, but residents here say the scale of what's being suggested risks changing
00:29Keynesham beyond recognition, a petition set up by local resident John James that attracted
00:34more than 200 signatures since it was launched on 22 October.
00:40Supporters say they understand the need for housing, particularly for smaller and more
00:43affordable homes, but believe Keynesham has already taken more than its fair share of development
00:48in recent years. The petition accepts the principle of new homes at North Keynesham and Hicksgate
00:54to areas already under consideration by the council, but it urges planners to rule out
00:58further large sites around the town. Bath and North East Somerset Council says those two
01:02sites form part of four main options being considered alongside land to the west of Bath
01:08and north of Midsummer Norton. The Cabinet Member for Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable
01:13Development, Councillor Matt McCabe, has acknowledged that each site poses challenges, but says focusing
01:18growth along the A4 corridor and in the Soma Valley allows infrastructure investment to support
01:24new housing for local residents. Allocating land in the local plan does not guarantee construction.
01:31Developers must still apply for permission, but it signals where growth is most likely to
01:35happen. The council's consultation remains open until mid-November, with staff touring communities
01:40in a converted ice cream van to discuss the proposals face to face.
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