People can have their say on plans for the future use of land across Sandwell and Dudley to boost housing and employment.
In Dudley, council bosses have already vowed to protect greenbelt land from developers as part of Dudley’s Local Plan but people are now being asked for their views.
The consultation will run from November 10 to December 22 and feedback will be used to develop the next phase of the plan which will guide future developments in the borough. It will include residents, businesses, elected members and developers. Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said:
"We have made our intention very clear, that we will have an urban-led strategy that will use our brownfield sites. But local people are central to this plan and we want to hear what they have to say about these proposals.
"We have demonstrated time after time that we listen to local people and that is never more important with how their borough should be developed in the future. The plan states that Dudley can meet the majority of its housing need in urban areas and on brownfield sites.
“It concludes “exceptional circumstances are not triggered to justify green belt release for new housing development”.
In addition, it pledges to allocate Corbett Meadow – which had been subject to a planning application for a large housing development – as a Local Greenspace designation to protect it for future generations. Five brownfield sites have been identified as “priority” for housing and are expected to deliver nearly 2,000 of the 11,954 homes needed by 2041.
There are two sites in Brierley Hill, with 300 homes earmarked for Daniels Land/The Embankment and 600 on land at Waterfront Way/Level Street.
In Dudley town centre, 120 homes are proposed for King Street/Flood Street and 280 for the Portersfield site on Trindle Road/Hall Street.
A further 650 homes are planned for the Ketley Quarry site in Kingswinford. People can have their say on the plan online. There are also copies of the draft plan at Dudley Council Plus building in Castle Street, the Council House in Priory Road, as well as libraries across the borough.
A series of drop-in events have been organised between November 15 and 30, full details are available online. Feedback from the consultation will be published in the autumn next year.
Sandwell residents are also being invited to have their say on the draft Sandwell Local Plan
The Local Plan is a document that plans for the future development of our borough. It sets out how and where we expect to build the new homes we need up to 2041, and what land is required to accommodate new jobs.
This consultation gives the chance for people to have their say on the sites that are proposed for development, and where development should or shouldn’t take place in Sandwell. Sandwell Council has identified enough land to build more than 11,000 new homes by 2041.
However, this isn’t enough to meet the expected housing needs of the growing population. Around 97% of these homes will be built on previously developed or brownfield land. The Plan protects the Green Belt and does not propose any new development within it.
The Plan also sets out how the council will address challenges like dealing with climate change, protecting the natural environment, supporting high streets, and encouraging sustainable travel. It includes policies that will help meet the target to be a carbon neutral borough by 2041.
The consultation starts on Monday 6 November and ends on Monday 18 December 2023.
Consultation documents are available online. Paper copies of the consultation documents and summary document are also available in all Sandwell’s libraries. Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Peter Hughes, said:
“I would encourage all Sandwell residents and businesses to look at the draft plan and let us have their views on it. This is about our borough’s future so the more people get involved, the better the outcome for all.”
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