Wessex carries centuries of history, an ancient kingdom that shaped England as a nation. In 2026, Wessex feels like a vision for the future. As the region looks to its future of Local Government Reorganisation, four of the region’s councils are exploring what a combined authority could mean, including greater strategic planning, leading to more investment, and a stronger combined voice to become a regional powerhouse.

Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset and BCP Councils all face a large housing challenge. When combined, under the new December 2024 NPPF standard calculations, the councils are collectively required to deliver around 13,449 new homes every year, equivalent to roughly 200,000 homes over 15 years. That represents an increase of almost 80% on the combined previous position of approximately 7,523 homes per year, and it is a target that has to be delivered in collaboration.

There is also a unique and striking opportunity of the political landscape of the current Wessex authorities. All four are led by Liberal Democrat administrations. That shared political identity across four councils covering a combined population of around 1.9 million people, creates a moment of political alignment. This is an opportunity, to build consensus, to plan strategically at a scale that individual authorities cannot achieve alone.

We’re bringing their leaders together to explore exactly that, and you can be a part of the conversation.

Register for our event here.

The four authorities currently sit in varying positions regarding their Local Plans. These plans are critical to ensure where homes get built, where jobs are created, and how places are made.

Wiltshire Council

After nine years of hard work and research, the Wiltshire Local Plan was submitted for examination in late 2024, and the Planning Inspectorate concluded in February 2026 that it was not sound. The core problems are a shortfall in housing land, an over-reliance on uncertain strategic sites, and a disconnect between where homes are planned and where there is housing need. The Local Plan was developed under Conservative control, which held control of the council since 2000. However, the May 2025 election saw the Conservatives lose nearly a third of their seats and overall control of the council, ending 25 years of majority rule, with the Liberal Democrats emerging as the largest party. The Inspectors recommended withdrawing the plan, and the council will make a decision at Cabinet and Full Council in May 2026. Wiltshire Council’s draft plan was targeting 1,470 homes per year, but the new NPPF standards puts the figure at 3,476, a 136% increase, requiring an extra 2,006 homes per year. The council has responded with understandable frustration to the recommendation of the withdrawal of the plan but also with resolve, and their commitment to getting a robust plan in place as quickly as possible is clear.

Dorset Council

Similarly, Dorset Council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since 2024, which took from the previous Conservative led administration, which started the original local plan. The new Liberal Democrat led authority, ran the Regulation 18 consultation in late 2025, and the council is now working through the responses ahead of a Regulation 19 consultation planned for August 2026, with submission to the Secretary of State targeted by December 2026. Similarly to Somerset Council, the main challenge is the sheer scale of the housing need uplift set out by central Government. Dorset’s annual figure has risen from around 1,793 to 3,246 new homes per year, an increase of more than 80%. The rural authority faces challenges with finding suitable land due to significant environmental designations, internationally important habitats, and a landscape of extraordinary quality, meeting that need without compromising what makes Dorset special is a formidable task.

Somerset Council

Somerset Council is the youngest of the four authorities. Formed in April 2023 as a single unitary authority from four former district councils, it inherited four separate and ageing local plans. Under the Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2022 elections, its new Local Plan is the creation of the current administration. Progress has been made on a combined Local Plan, with a Call for Sites taking place in early 2025, and a Regulation 18 consultation on the draft plan expected shortly. The adoption of the new Somerset Local Plan 2045 is targeted for March 2029. The most significant challenge has been the Government’s revised housing targets, introduced in December 2024, which pushed Somerset’s annual requirement up by 42%, from 2,660 to 3,769 new homes per year. It’s a substantial task for Somerset Council, but progress is being made to meet these targets.

Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) has had a complicated recent history with its Local Plan. Since the 2023 election, the authority has been run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Christchurch Independents, Poole People Party and some independents called the Three Towns Alliance. The draft local plan was submitted by the coalition for examination in June 2024, but following hearings in January 2025, Inspectors found fundamental problems, primarily around the Duty to Cooperate and a housing strategy that fell short of meeting local need. The previous draft proposed around 24,000 homes over 15 years, against an identified need of over 40,000, and the Council confirmed withdrawal in June 2025. BCP has moved quickly, launching a new Call for Sites, agreeing a fresh timetable, with examination submission planned for March 2028.

What’s next for the future of Wessex?

All four authorities are sharing the same challenges, just at different stages of the journey. They are grappling with elevated housing numbers from central Government, as well as shifting national policies and priorities. The authorities are doing so while remaining committed to protecting what makes these places unique. There is something significant about how they are facing these shared challenges at the same time, and perhaps even more significant that they are beginning to look at the future of working together.

The proposed Heart of Wessex combined authority is a catalyst for what this region could become if it is empowered to shape its own future. Strategic thinking and planning play a core role that a mayoral combined authority could play, crossing administrative boundaries, focusing on infrastructure and growth, giving the region a unified voice in placemaking at a regional scale.

Join us at our next event to be a part of the conversation.