A public hearing into Bath's planning blue print is to continue this autumn.
Independent Planning Inspector Simon Emerson has decided to proceed with the public examination of the Bath and North East Somerset Council's Core Strategy, which earmarks sites for 12,700 homes over the next 15 years.
Mr Emerson has been assessing whether the draft core strategy is legally sound but the hearings faced being delayed over objections that the plan did not take account of unmet housing need from other areas, like Bristol.
More than 1,000 comments have been made on the latest version of the strategy, which includes proposals for hundreds of homes to be built in Weston, Odd Down and South Stoke.
Cabinet member for homes and planning, Councillor Tim Ball (Lib-Dem, Twerton), said: "It is good news that the Core Strategy will proceed. Let's be clear. Had the Inspector called a halt to the process, this would have played into the hands of developers and encouraged speculative development proposals around our area in unsustainable locations. Most probably, these locations would have resulted in a free for all green field land grab.
"The Core Strategy focuses development on brownfield sites as far as possible and seeks to limit the use of Green Belt land to achieve our homes target to support local need."
The authority is now in discussions with Mr Emerson about when the hearings will restart but they are expected to resume in November or at the latest in the New Year.
