Dudley Council's cabinet is set to debate the rollout of its new local plan and then plans to replace it, in a peculiar agenda for the first meeting on June 11. The situation arises because a change in the law means the Dudley Local Plan (DLP), which will guide development policy in the borough until 2041, must be reviewed as soon as it is adopted.
Following a lengthy public inquiry into the latest plan, planning inspector Louise Nurser found it sound and, with some modifications, the council can proceed with implementation. However, the plan was prepared using the 2023 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which was revised in 2024.
Housing Need Substantially Increased
A report for cabinet by Michael Brereton, Dudley's director of development and regulation, highlights that the 2024 NPPF introduced a revised standard method for calculating housing need, moving to a stock-based approach. Under this method, Dudley's Local Housing Need (LHN) is currently 1,514 dwellings per annum, a substantial increase from the 657 dwellings per annum under the previous methodology that informed the DLP.
Green Belt Under Pressure
During public hearings, housing developers accused the authority of rushing through proposals to avoid earmarking green belt land for building. A report by Anne Boyd, Dudley's director of growth and infrastructure, states the inspector agreed with the council that there is no need to review green belt boundaries for current housing requirements. However, a new plan with higher housing targets may put more pressure on Dudley's green belt.
Council leader Cllr Patrick Harley has expressed concerns: "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."
The cabinet meeting on June 11 will debate the adoption of the current plan and the process for its replacement, as the council faces the challenge of balancing development needs with protecting green spaces.
