A SUMMARY will be produced to make it easier for West Somerset residents to have their say on where an anticipated 2,500 new homes should be built in the district over the next 20 years.
A plea by Crowcombe Parish Council chairman Jane Chipp for a "plain English" guide to West Somerset Council's latest draft Local Plan was welcomed at Tuesday's full district council meeting.
Cllr Chipp had warned the authority that if it really wanted to have a meaningful consultation with residents, it was important they understood what they were being asked to comment on.
The draft document - which runs to more than 50 pages - is due to go out for consultation in January and February.
Councillors have already stressed that nothing is set in stone and whole purpose of the consultation is to gauge whether residents agree with the development sites earmarked in the document.
The draft Local Plan also includes suggestions for employment land and even allotments, as well as 24 plots for homes.
Adrian Dyer, the council's chief executive, said a short summary of the plan's proposals was a good idea and also welcomed Cllr Chipp's suggestion to hold community workshops around the district.
"We will be taking both of those ideas forward and progressing them," Mr Dyer said.
As reported last month, members of the council's local development panel have asked for seven sites in the Minehead area, three in Dunster Marsh, eight in Williton and six in Watchet to be included in the draft Local Plan.
The Minehead sites include just under five hectares at Mount Brake, east of the Porlock Road, more than 26 hectares south of the A39 between Middlecombe Cross and west of Periton Cross and just under 33 hectares between Periton Cross and Higher and Lower Hopcott.
Almost 55 hectares between Lower Hopcott and Chestnut Way/Staunton Road and around three hectares on the site of Minehead's rugby club and land to the south of it are also included.
The other Minehead locations are 21 hectares of land north and east of Seaward Way to the west of the West Somerset Railway and just over 14 hectares to the east of Seaward Way, north of the A39 and west of Drift Road.
In Dunster Marsh, almost 20 hectares north of Marsh Lane and west of Station Road, just over three hectares south of Marsh Lane and nearly four hectares between Station Road and Sea Lane have been included.
In Williton, just under six hectares of land south of the A39, almost ten hectares on the eastern edge overlooking the Doniford Stream and more than eight hectares on the western edge of land bounded by Catwell to the north and Tower Hill Quarry to the south have been identified as possible sites.
Other locations in Williton include nearly 13 hectares of land to the north of the A358 and eastern edge of Tower Hill, more than 11 hectares north of Williton's two schools and west of Liddymore Road and just under 12 hectares north of the Roughmoor Industrial estate between Liddymore Lane and the West Somerset Railway.
More than 30 hectares behind Mamsey House to the north of the A39 and just under ten hectares at The Bury, north of Bridge Farm are also in the Williton sites.
In Watchet, the Parsonage Farm complex in Brendon Road has been put forward as a possible site, along with a further 16 hectares to the east and north of the farm.
Other areas include just under six hectares north of Doniford Road and the West Somerset Railway, almost 16 hectares south of Doniford Road and north of Normandy Road, nearly eight hectares between Normandy Road and Liddymore Lane and almost nine hectares south east of Liddymore Road.
Cabinet member Cllr Kate Kravis said it was important local residents made their views known on the proposals and came forward with suggestions of their own.
"We're not saying this is something we are doing, it's something we're talking about that will be going out to consultation.
"If people feed in to this and engage with us it is quite possible they will get results," Cllr Kravis said.