Planning in the Mendip Hills National Landscape
The Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (National Landscape) does not have any statutory planning powers as these are held by the local planning authorities – Somerset Council, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset. These Councils make decisions on planning applications for development and adopt policies relating to local development and conservation of the Mendip Hills National Landscape within their local authority areas.
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (the CRoW Act) confirmed the significance of National Landscapes and Section 85 places a statutory duty on all relevant authorities to have regard to the purpose of conserving and enhancing natural beauty when discharging any function in relation to or affecting land within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The primary purpose of the National Landscape designation is to conserve and enhance natural beauty.
The Mendip Hills National Landscape Partnership produced the National Landscape Mendip Hills Management Plan 2019-24 as required by the Act on behalf of the joint local authorities and is a material planning consideration. Within the Management Plan, paragraph 1.4 sets out a Statement of Significance on the special qualities that create the Mendip Hills National Landscape sense of place and identity. Click here for the Mendip Hills National Landscape Management Plan page.
The Mendip Hills National Landscape Team provides comments on some planning consultations where proposals are likely to have an impact on the characteristics that make the National Landscape special, where our unique cross-border position means that we see issues that straddle district boundaries and where we can provide advice to help inform decision-making. Due to limited resources we have to strike a balance between strategic planning work and our involvement in development management cases. Comments from the National Landscape Team can be found on the relevant local authorities planning application pages.
Local Planning Authorities
North Somerset Council
Bath and North East Somerset Council
Somerset County Council
Other relevant national and local policy and guidance includes
- National Planning Policy Framework (webpage)
- Nature Recovery Plan for the Mendip Hills National Landscape (webpage)
- Horse Related Development Guidelines (PDF Download 1.6MB)
- Agricultural Building Design – Guidelines for the Mendip Hills National Landscape (PDF Download 3MB)
- Dark Night Skies in the Mendip Hills – National Landscape Statement Jan 2022 (PDF Download <1MB)
- Guidance on Temporary Camping Sites in the Mendip Hills National Landscape (PDF Download <1MB)
- Guidance on Temporary Car Parks in the Mendip Hills National Landscape (PDF Download <1MB)
- Tree Planting Guide for the Mendip Hills National Landscape (PDF Download <1MB)
- Tree Felling – Getting Permission (webpage)
- Countryside Hedgerows – Protection and Management
- North Somerset and Mendip Bats SAC Guidance (PDF Download 7MB)
Other Supporting Information
National Character Areas (NCA) 141 Mendip Hills and 118 Bristol, Avon Valleys and Ridges.
The South Downs National Park have produced further guidance regarding Dark Skies which we also follow.
Landscape Character Assessments
Sedgemoor District Council
North Somerset Council
Mendip District Council
Bath and North East Somerset Council
A copy of the Landscape Assessment of the Mendip Hills (May 1996) can be found here.
