Four villages in North Somerset could have their neighbourhood plan adopted next year.
The Abbots Leigh, Ham Green, Pill and Easton-in-Gordano Neighbourhood Plan will be decided upon by an independent examiner next spring.
North Somerset Council will undertake a six-week consultation on the plan early next year.
The council’s executive agreed on December 9 that the plan met the necessary conditions to proceed to examination.
Leader of the council and Pill ward councillor, Don Davies, said: “It’s been a real community effort to create this plan, the document covers a wide range of areas.
“It fits very well into the area and what we are trying to achieve.”
The plan will have the status of a development plan and the policies will sit under the strategic policies contained in the council’s core strategy.
The neighbourhood area which combines the parishes of Abbots Leigh, Pill and Easton-in-Gordano was approved by the council in August 2016.
It is the first neighbourhood plan in North Somerset to cover more than one parish.
The key objectives of the neighbourhood plan are to contribute to addressing North Somerset's housing demand and meeting housing need through a mix of tenure, size and affordability; avoid further traffic overload, increase safety, and reduce air pollution on the A369 and the Pill loop; encourage walking and cycling and ensure the accessibility, convenience and safety of cycle and walking routes and sustain the ecological strengths and bio-diversity of the area while protecting its most vulnerable environmental assets.
The plan also contains policies which allocate an affordable housing exceptions site at Ham Green and a brownfield site for redevelopment as care home and market housing at Ham Green Hospital.
It supports the enhancement of the local centre of Pill Precinct and promotes low energy use through energy assessments and renewable energy within new developments, rainwater harvesting, local food production initiatives.
A council spokesman said: “North Somerset Council’s planning policy, housing and transport teams have had input into the plan.
“In particular, the planning policy team have offered advice and technical support throughout the plans preparation."
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