Landowners invited to suggest sites for housebuilding
BBCLandowners and developers will be asked to suggest areas where homes and businesses can be built.
Somerset Council is launching a six-week call for submissions early this year as it searches for land that can be used for housing as well as traveller pitches and renewable energy installations.
The ideas will help the council to prepare a long-term development plan for Somerset, after it inherited four different plans from the district councils it replaced in 2023.
A spokesman said understanding the potential supply of development sites was a "key early step" in this process.
The council's long-term plan, known officially as a Local Plan, will outline where development should be encouraged and where it should be restricted, based on the needs of the area.
Submitting a site is separate to applying for planning permission but will ultimately inform the planning process.
Lead member for economic development planning and assets, Mike Rigby, said: "Local Plans are at the heart of the planning system and are the starting point for consideration in deciding planning applications.
"This [call for sites] process will be crucial for gathering information to help develop the Somerset-wide Local Plan."
The council said the call for sites is one of many ways it will be gathering information.
It added it is not encouraging submissions in particular locations.
Sites deemed potentially viable will be assessed for suitability, availability, and achievability.
These assessments will precede public consultations on the Local Plan.
Somerset Council said it will share details on how to submit site suggestions early this year.
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