Changes have been made to controversial plans to allow businesses to develop fields near Paulton without planning permission and the public are once again being asked to have their say.

The Somer Valley Enterprise Zone is planned to cover 13 hectares of fields just off the A362 outside of Midsomer Norton, stretching from Old Mills Lane to the edge of the woods around Old Mills Bath — the iconic local "volcano" landmark. An enterprise zone provides tax breaks and business rate discounts to businesses that set up in the zone, along with other benefits, and a "local development order" is planned to allow some types of development to take place on the land without needing to seek planning permission.

But Bath and North East Somerset Council's plans received hundreds of objections from locals and prompted fears that one row of cottages could end up "sandwiched" between industrial areas. Now amended plans for the development order are back open for a public consultation which runs until October 20.

Paul Roper, the council's cabinet member for economic and sustainable development, said: "The council received a good response from the public and other consultees during the statutory consultation for the Somer Valley Enterprise Zone Local Development Order. These were taken into account when the plans were revised and we have added a report that addresses many of the questions raised to the project page on the council's website.

"We are now inviting residents and statutory consultees to give us their feedback on the revised plans for the LDO."

Key changes include increasing the depth of the planned planting around the edge of the zone, providing agricultural access through the site to fields to the north, installing an accusing fence between the development and the buildings of Royal Oak Farm, and introducing conditions to reduce construction noise and limit the hours of operation.

The local development order will mean that businesses do not need to go through the full planning permission process to build on the site, but businesses interested in setting up there will need to abide by a design code set out in the order.

The council hopes that the zone will encourage business growth in the Somer Valley and reduce people commuting out to Bath and Bristol to work.

You can respond to the plans just like a planning permission application. There is a dedicated consultation website here: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/somer-valley-enterprise-zone-revised-statutory-consultation-modifications-local-development-order

You can also view and comment on the plans here: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/webforms/planning/details.html?refval=23%2F00076%2FLDO

The consultation will run until October 20.