Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies

5. Dudley Borough Spatial Strategy

5.1 The Dudley Local Plan (DLP) can help achieve sustainable development by ensuring that the borough benefits from the right development in the right place at the right time. This development will meet the needs of people living and working in the borough, whilst protecting and enhancing the environment and its unique character.

5.2 The Spatial Strategy as set out in policies DLP1, DLP2 and DLP3, and illustrated on the Key Diagram (Figure 5.1) provides the overarching basis for the Plan's proposals for growth and infrastructure improvements. This diagram is supplemented by thematic key diagrams for housing, economy, transport, environment, waste and minerals. These policies address all the Strategic Priorities.

Spatial Strategy Plan: Dudley Borough

Development Strategy

5.3 Policy DLP1 provides the overarching development strategy for the Dudley Borough, setting out the scale and distribution of new development for the Plan period to 2041.

Justification

5.4 Dudley needs to plan for economic growth, enhanced business productivity and meet housing needs within the plan period. To accommodate this future growth, locations that are both sustainable and deliverable have been identified for development, at levels and in locations that do not breach the environmental capacity of the area.

5.5 The Development Strategy is based on a number of considerations, including:

1. National planning policy
2. The Plan's Vision, objectives and priorities
3. Environmental constraints
4. The availability and viability of land for development

5.6 The Development Strategy has been developed through a comprehensive assessment of alternative options. Growth options were considered through this process and the proposed strategy corresponds with maximising growth in the urban area, plus Duty to Cooperate contributions, as set out in the Spatial Options Paper. The Sustainability Appraisal shows that this will enable Dudley to meet most of the growth needs within the urban area in a focussed manner that takes full account of environmental, climate change, accessibility, and social requirements.

5.7 By promoting the right type and amount of development in the most sustainable locations, the Strategy therefore plays a crucial role in delivering inclusive development that supports communities to achieve their goals. The distribution of growth as proposed in the Development Strategy is summarised.

Table 5.1 Dudley Borough Development Strategy

_{*Following appropriate discounts-see SHLAA and DLP10}

_{**Excludes replacement of employment land losses – the figure including replacement of losses is 98Ha - see Section 9.}

_{***The figure to be exported by Dudley and the Black Country will be further reduced by the large and small windfall allowances identified for the Black Country overall (78ha) but this is not disaggregated to individual local authority level at this time.}

5.8 The Growth Network – made up of the Regeneration Corridors and Centres (Policy DLP2) - is the primary focus for co-ordinated and sustained regeneration and infrastructure investment to support the delivery of growth and promote wider benefits to local communities. The Growth Network is the focus for the delivery of these objectives and contains most of the areas where regeneration and land-use change will be concentrated over the Plan period.

5.9 Whilst most change and intervention will be focussed on the Growth Network, some development will be brought forward outside the network to enable vibrant and diverse communities to thrive and prosper. The overall land use-pattern outside the Growth Network is not expected to alter greatly over the Plan period, but there will be some incremental change through a mix of permitted and allocated sites and windfall developments. Strong links will be created between the Growth Network and areas outside of it, through high-quality design, green infrastructure and transport investment.

5.10 The DLP aims to utilise land efficiently through the use of previously developed land, vacant properties and surplus industrial land, and maximising housing densities where appropriate. The spatial strategy also seeks to protect green spaces within the borough, the green belt and the 'wedges' of open land providing valuable open breaks between settlements and access to the wider countryside, including movement for wildlife.

5.11 Whilst this approach serves to meet most of the borough's development needs, there is a shortage of deliverable sites identified. The strategy aims to address these outstanding development needs via the Duty to Cooperate. The Council will continue to work with neighbouring and other relevant local authorities throughout the Plan preparation process to address these shortfalls in the most sustainable way.

5.12 This Plan sets a housing target for the borough of 10,876 new homes over the period 2023-41, compared to a local housing need for 11,954 homes as calculated by the Standard Method, creating a shortfall of 1,078 homes. For employment land, the EDNA establishes a need for 72ha (98ha including replacement of employment land losses) of land for employment development, an anticipated supply of 25ha and a shortfall of 47ha (73ha if including replacement of employment land losses).^[3]

5.13 National planning policy requires this unmet housing and employment land need to be provided for across the Greater Birmingham and Black Country Housing Market Area (GBBCHMA), the Functional Economic Market Area (FEMA) and other areas with which the borough has a physical or functional relationship. As a result, the Council continues to work constructively with neighbouring authorities to help provide as much certainty as possible about how and where the borough's full housing and employment land needs will be delivered. The Duty to Cooperate position will be elaborated on in more detail in Statements of Common Ground at the Publication stage.

Evidence

• SHLAA (2023)
• Urban Capacity Review Update (2023)
• Black Country Employment Areas Review (BEAR, 2021)
• Viability and Delivery Study (2023)
• Black Country Economic Development Needs Assessment (EDNA, 2017 and 2021 and 2023)
• Strategic Transport Evidence
• Strategic Environmental Evidence.

Delivery

• Annual update of SHLAA
• Authority Monitoring Report
• Housing renewal will be delivered through local authority intervention
• Securing funding to facilitate delivery
• Working with key partners and delivery agencies.

Growth Network: Regeneration Corridors and Centres

5.14 Policy DLP2 sets out the strategic approach for the growth network, including the focus of development within the existing urban area, regeneration corridors and the borough's strategic and town centres.

Justification

5.15 The re-energising and repurposing of the Strategic Centre of Brierley Hill and the town centres of Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge are of fundamental importance for the regeneration of the borough. The centres form the most sustainable locations in the borough, providing the community with easy access to comparison shopping, leisure, entertainment and cultural facilities and employment. Over recent years they have benefitted from investment and regeneration. However, there remains a need for further investment and repurposing to provide a wider mix of uses and to improve their environment and sustainable transport links. As outlined in the 'Centres' sections in Part Two of this Plan, they also offer the opportunity for new residential development to support their longer -term vitality and viability.

5.16 Alongside the centres, the borough's housing growth will be concentrated in locations within Regeneration Corridors which are close to the strategic and town centres, providing the opportunity to enhance their sustainability and viability. Promoting the distinctive strengths and unique opportunities provided by each Centre will also help to encourage investment. The Local Plan contains a section for each of the borough's centres to guide their regeneration. This can be found in Part Two of the DLP– Allocations and Centres.

5.17 The Regeneration Corridor boundaries broadly reflect the distribution of large parcels of employment land across the borough, accommodating the majority of manufacturing and logistics businesses and jobs. Alongside this is a network of sustainable transport routes (including rail, metro, bus and proposed high frequency rapid transit, alongside provision for walking and cycling routes) and the extensive canal network.

5.18 The strategy for the Regeneration Corridors reflects two key issues arising from the evidence base - firstly, the need to provide for economic growth through the protection and enhancement of sustainable employment land and premises. Secondly, delivering housing growth through the release of brownfield and underused land.

5.19 Achieving the right balance of jobs and housing is a key aim of the Plan's Spatial Strategy. The supporting evidence base (Economic Development Needs Assessment (EDNA) and Black Country Employment Area Review (BEAR)) provide information on the demand and supply of employment land for the Plan period, and this has informed the employment land and housing allocations in this Plan.

Table 5.2 Summary of Strategic and Town Centre proposals

Table 5.3 Regeneration Corridors

Areas outside the Growth Network

5.20 Areas that make up the existing urban area sitting outside of the Growth Network, such as district and local centres, will play a vital role in delivering the overall strategy.

Justification

5.21 Whilst the focus of development activity is on the Growth Network, areas outside this network will play a vital role in delivering the overall strategy, as part of a balanced approach for meeting the development needs of the borough. These areas make up most of the existing urban area and are where most residents live. They are supported by a range of district and local centres, as set out in the Centres section.              

5.22 Development will be focused in the most sustainable and accessible locations, and as outlined above, strong links will be created between the Growth Network and areas of development outside of it. The protection and enhancement of the borough's green infrastructure will be supported by this approach.

Evidence

• SHLAA (2023)
• Urban Capacity Review Update (2023)
• Black Country Employment Areas Review (BEAR, 2021)
• Viability and Delivery Study (2023)
• Black Country Economic Development Needs Assessment (EDNA, 2017 and 2021 and EDNA 2023)
• Strategic Transport Evidence
• Strategic Environment Evidence
• Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC)

Delivery

• Annual update of SHLAA
• Authority Monitoring Report
• Housing renewal will be delivered through local authority intervention
• Securing funding to facilitate delivery
• Working with key partners and delivery agencies

Achieving well designed places

5.23 Where people live, has a major impact on their wellbeing. The Council is committed to ensuring that the design, planning and layout of developments and places is to high standard. Policy DLP4 and DLP39 set out the requirement to ensure development proposals are well designed and will function as attractive places which have a positive impact on people's wellbeing and the overall attractiveness of the borough.

5.24 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out how 'The creation of high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve'.

5.25 NPPF also promotes the use of design codes and design guides by local planning authorities and specifies that they should set out the principles consistent with those included in the National Design Guide and National Design Code. Dudley Council was a National Design Code Pathfinder Pilot and is in the process of developing a Design Code for Lye and the Stour Valley. It is the intention to adopt the Design Code as a supplementary planning document and use the experience from the pilot to develop a borough -wide design code.

5.26 The aim of the Local Plan is to create the conditions for economic and social growth, which will take place within a safe, attractive and accessible built and natural environment. The Plan also encourages and supports the growth of locations that encourage participation and community engagement. Successful placemaking in the borough will foster community stability and incorporate elements that create resilience to adverse economic and environmental impacts. The borough enjoys a unique heritage, reflected in its urban structure, which requires a sensitive approach to place-making and an insistence on a high quality of design for proposals that affect the historic built and natural environment.              

5.27 Vibrant streets and spaces, defined by surrounding buildings and with their own distinct character, will provide the framework for a coherent and interconnected network of places. These will support ease of movement, social interaction and a sense of personal wellbeing, and will display a clear hierarchy of private, commercial and civic functions. The borough's network of centres will provide a focus and concentration for essential local services and activities with easy access by walking, cycling and public transport to residential areas, as detailed in policies in the Centres and Transport Sections as well as Policy DLP11 – Housing Density, Type and Accessibility. Its diverse, accessible, affordable and active villages, towns and neighbourhoods will encourage commercial activity, promote prosperity and support the wellbeing of the area's inhabitants.

5.28 The importance of high-quality design in creating places where people want to live, work and invest with renewed confidence is a fundamental plank of both national and local policy. The Government have published national design guidance that supports the National Planning Policy Framework, which states that permission should be refused for development of poor design that fails to take the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of an area and the way it functions.             

5.29 The opportunity exists to transform the borough's strategic and town centres and regeneration corridors into distinctive places that provide a good quality of life for all who live in, work in and visit them. Investment in high-quality places will result in environmental, economic and social benefits, including community safety, health and well-being, inclusive communities, better public services, environmental sustainability, climate resilience, greater financial value of buildings and improved worklessness. Creating a higher quality of life for the borough's communities depends on many factors and will play an increasingly important role in attracting private sector investment and skilled workers.

Evidence

• Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC)
• National Design Code
• Art in the Public Realm Strategy & Action Plan 2020 – 2025
• West Midlands Design Charter 2020
• Supplementary Planning Documents or Supplementary Plans

Delivery

• Development Management, legal and funding mechanisms
• Borough Design Codes