Cabinet to debate plan with a review to replacing it

Dudley Council’s cabinet is set to debate the roll out of its new local plan – and then plans to replace it.

The bizarre agenda for the first meeting of the cabinet on June 11 came about because a change in the law means the Dudley Local Plan, which will set out policy for development in the borough until 2041, will need to be reviewed as soon as it is adopted.

Following a lengthy public enquiry on the latest plan, planning inspector Louise Nurser found it was sound and, with some modifications, the council can go ahead and implement it.

Dudley’s plan was prepared using government guidelines called the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) from 2023, which were revised the following year.

A report for cabinet signed by Michael Brereton, Dudley director of development and regulation, said: “The 2024 NPPF introduced a revised standard method for calculating housing need, moving to a stock-based approach. 

“Under the revised method, currently Dudley’s Local Housing Need (LHN) is 1,514 dwellings per annum (this is updated annually). 

“This represents a substantial increase when compared with a LHN of 657 dwellings per annum under the previous methodology that informed the preparation of the DLP.” 

During the public hearings on the new plan housing developers accused the authority of rushing through its proposals to ensure green belt land was not earmarked for building.

A report on the DLP signed by Anne Boyd, Dudley director of growth and infrastructure, said the inspector agreed with the council’s position that there is no need to review greenbelt boundaries to deliver the housing requirements in the current plan.

A new plan with higher housing requirements may put more pressure on Dudley’s green belt; council leader, Cllr Patrick Harley, has already expressed concerns.

Cllr Harley said: “People across the borough are very proud and protective of the green belt and once it’s gone – it’s gone.

“In my time as leader we will probably put them off long enough but who knows in the future? I think we have got a massive fight on our hands.”