Police Neighbourhood Report
Consultation on updated North Somerset and Mendip Bats Special Area of Conservation Supplementary Planning Document – October 2025.
Consultation on updated North Somerset and Mendip Bats Special Area of Conservation Supplementary Planning Document – October 2025.
The current 2018 North Somerset and Mendip Bats Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) was adopted in January 2018. The document relates to lesser and greater horseshoe bat populations which are protected under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended).
The feeding habitat, roosts and routes of horseshoe bats through the landscape are protected and the SPD and associated Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP) metric were produced to enable North Somerset Council to undertake Habitat Regulations Assessments (HRA) to assess impact from proposed development on these species.
This updated SPD reflects the findings of new evidence which shows that the bats are flying further to feed and forage. This is reflected in the proposed new ‘consultation zones’ and a revised HEP calculator tool which are available to view as part of the consultation, as is the scientific evidence.
The SPD also provides additional information regarding survey requirements and mitigation requirements and is necessary to reflect the scientific evidence regarding the feeding and foraging habits of greater and lesser horseshoe bats and is important to ensure that these species are protected from the impact of significant new development across North Somerset.
Prior to being presented for consultation this document has been through two engagement panels with developers/agents and wildlife groups/NGOs/Regulators, with feedback being used to inform the document content and structure. Some proposed supporting content (such as the HEP tool) will now be hosted separately on the NSC website rather than being included within the SPD.
We are now seeking your views. To respond to the consultation, which will run for 6 weeks from 22 October 2025 till 5 pm on Wednesday 3 December 2025. Please visit the consultation page to view the consultation documents and respond. Hard copies of the SPD and survey are available at North Somerset libraries.
North Somerset Council - Community Governance Review 2025 Public Consultation
Full details and how to respond here.
The deadline for all responses is midnight on Friday 31 October 2025.
The North Somerset Council Community Governance Review 2025 proposes a Boundary Change to the Parish of Hutton.
The draft recommendation for change is that the Weston-super-Mare boundary be extended to include a section of Hutton around Woodside as an extension of Oldmixon. This area is made up of 406 properties containing 629 electors. This would mean that the 406 properties included in the proposal would move from the Parish of Hutton to Weston-super-Mare Town Council.
Letter sent by North Somerset Council to affected households here.
Details of the Draft Recommendation, including the map, here.
Minutes of the public meeting in the Village Hall on Sunday 5th October here.
Full details and how to respond here.
Paper copies of the submission form can be requested from North Somerset Council by calling 01934 634909.
Reporting Issues on the Highway to North Somerset Council
If you are reporting an issue on the highway, which is not urgent, the most efficient way of doing this is by using the North Somerset Council on-line reporting system. You can do this via https://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/do-it-online/report-or-request-services This will ensure your report is assigned to the appropriate officer and dealt with in a timely manner.