A review of the blueprint plotting development in the Black Country over the next 20 years is set to get under way – and people will soon be given the chance to have their say.

The Black Country Core Strategy outlines how many houses need to be built and how to plan for the number of extra jobs needed in a growing population. It also looks at where new homes and businesses should be located. The original document was launched six years ago and covers the period up to 2026.

Now four Black Country councils – Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton – want to launch a public consultation on a review of the document to take it up to 2036. If agreed at council meetings this month, the consultation is expected to start in July and last for 10 weeks.

The consultation will ask questions about where new homes are needed across the Black Country. It will also seek feedback on how to plan for more jobs and where new development should be located.

The information from the consultation will be collated and used to produce a proposed review document, which will again go out to consultation next summer. Councillor Ian Kettle, cabinet member for regeneration at Dudley Council, said:

“As the historic capital of the Black Country, Dudley will play an important role in the economic future of our region. The population will continue to grow in the borough over the next 20 years, and with that will come a need for more homes and more jobs.

“This document will lay out where those homes should go and also where new employment land should be sited. It’s important people tell us what they think and we would urge people to get in touch.”

Alan Lunt, strategic director for place at Dudley Council and lead officer for the review, added:

“The Black Country Core Strategy is an overarching planning and regeneration document for our region.

“The current strategy was adopted as the country emerged from a global recession and the Black Country was recovering from a period of economic and population decline.

“This document now needs to be reviewed. It is expected there will be both population and economic growth over the next 20 years and that brings a need for new development sites to accommodate this.

“Part of this review is a 10-week public consultation where residents across the Black Country will be given the chance to have their say.”