~ 06/03/2026 ~

Proposed Development at Cox’s Green – Key Points for Residents

Help protect our village and countryside and keep Wrington as Wrington.Our latest guidance about the Cox's Green application is on the dedicated page 'Latest News'

~ 29/11/2025 ~

North Somerset Council has released the Strategic Policies and Sustainable Development Objectives that will guide the new Local Plan. These policies outline the essential conditions required for genuinely sustainable development, many of which cannot be delivered in Wrington due to our limited services, infrastructure, employment opportunities and public transport.

To try and help with positive responses to the Local Plan, we have set out the Overall Policies and the Sustainable Development ones below. By referencing these, particularly to promote sustainable development to address climate change, prioritise development where there are facilities and employment, support Weston-super-Mare and Nailsea regeneration, reduce car use, promote active travel, provide genuinely affordable housing, brownfield and town centres, support priority habitats (bats).
These are further emphasised in the Sustainable Development objectives, which are everything that Wrington cannot provide.
By writing and pointing this out, it is hoped the Government Inspector will agree with North Somerset Council that Wrington cannot provide sustainable development.

By referencing these policies in your consultation response, you help strengthen the case that Wrington is not suitable for large scale development under the Local Plan criteria.

A note for residents

You do not need to reference every policy.
A detailed response focusing on just one policy that affects or interests you is absolutely valid and still carries weight. You may also include additional policies if they are relevant to your experience.

We would also like to thank residents for the strength and clarity of your previous consultation responses. These have been acknowledged by North Somerset Council many times. Your participation really does make a difference, and we need your voices again at this crucial stage.

Local Plan Strategic Policies

(Provided exactly as written by North Somerset Council)

. The Local Plan strategic priorities are as follows:
• To promote sustainable development and address the climate emergency.
• To deliver the zero carbon ambition by maximising the opportunities for low carbon development and the use of renewable energy.
• To develop new and existing communities in a way which enhances health and wellbeing, reduces inequalities and is child and family friendly.
• To increase the number and range of job opportunities across the district, particularly at the towns to give people the opportunity to work near to where they live.
• To prioritise the location of new development close to places with a wide range of services, facilities and job opportunities.
• To address the decline in the town centres of Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead through supporting regeneration and place-making initiatives which revitalise these places as the focus for retailing, community uses, housing and jobs
• To reduce car use, encourage walking and cycling, and high quality and effective public transport.
• To deliver a diverse range of housing in a variety of tenures, sizes and forms, particularly genuine affordable housing, to meet future needs of North Somerset residents at locations where they are most needed.
• To deliver essential new strategic transport infrastructure to support new development and enable more sustainable travel options.
• To deliver higher residential densities through good design, particularly at town centres, transport hubs and on brownfield sites.
• To provide essential infrastructure in step with development, both transport infrastructure and community infrastructure such as schools, healthcare facilities and community centres.
• To prioritise the importance and delivery of green spaces when considering new development, support priority habitats and species, and safeguard areas at risk of flooding.

Sustainable Development Objectives

(Also provided exactly as written)

The purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. This is delivered through the preparation and implementation of plans which seek to balance economic, social and environmental objectives. The Local Plan will set out what sustainable development means for North Somerset. A Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is prepared in parallel with the plan making process and provides a mechanism through which sustainability effects can be described, analysed and compared. The process of undertaking a SA involves the identification of sustainability objectives which are used to measure and monitor the success of the plan.

The SA objectives which are used to assess the local plan are:

• 1.1 Ensure a range of job opportunities are easily accessible without having to use a car.
• 1.2 Provide opportunities to improve economic wellbeing and reduce inequalities by providing good access to education and training opportunities.
• 1.3 Promote the optimal use of land which supports regeneration, maximise re-use of previously developed (brownfield) land and protects the rural economy.
• 1.4 Promote development which requires a deliverable level of high quality and sustainable infrastructure.

• 2.1 Boost delivery and meet the housing need identified within the plan period.
• 2.2 Deliver affordable or specialist housing where it is most needed to meet the needs of North Somerset’s population.
• 2.3 Achieve reasonable access to a wide range of community, educational, town centre and healthcare facilities.
• 2.4 Enhancing community cohesion and community facilities provision including cultural facilities.
• 2.5 Achieve healthy living opportunities, promoting good access to healthcare centres, open spaces, public rights of way, walking and cycling opportunities, and outdoor leisure activities.

• 3.1 Reduce carbon emissions by supporting appropriate decentralised renewable energy generation.
• 3.2 Minimise vulnerability to all forms of flooding, now or in the future, without increasing flood risk elsewhere. Also minimise harm to water quality and availability.
• 3.3 Reduce the need to travel by car to minimise environmental impacts of unsustainable forms of travel, including transport related carbon emissions and air pollution.
• 3.4 Ensure good access to infrastructure that promotes travel by active modes (walking and cycling). Minimise impact on, and where appropriate enhance, sensitive landscapes.
• 3.5 To conserve and enhance historic assets, heritage assets and their settings.
• 3.6 Protect and where possible enhance biodiversity, geodiversity and green infrastructure and allow its adaptation to climate change, particularly with respect to protected habitats and species.

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~ 18/11/2025 ~

North Somerset Council has opened the pre-submission Regulation 19 Local Plan consultation. This consultation runs until 5pm on Friday 12 December 2025, and this is the last opportunity for residents to give formal feedback before the plan is submitted.

The council has published the full Pre submission Local Plan, the policies map and all related background documents. These can be viewed on the council’s consultation portal, and also through the Local Plan 2041 page on the North Somerset Council website.

In response to several requests for more clarity about the transport modelling, the council has now added the Model Development Report and all appendices to the evidence base.

We strongly encourage all Wrington residents to look at the documents and make comments before the deadline. This is our chance to ensure that the impact on Wrington is fully understood.

If you have any questions about the consultation the Planning Policy Team can be contacted at planning.policy@n somerset.gov.uk

Keep Wrington as Wrington will continue to follow this closely and will share updates as soon as we have them. 

Click here: https://n-somerset.gov.uk/my-services/planning-building-control/planning-policy/our-local-plan/local-plan-2041/pre-submission-plan-2041-evidence-base