Dudley Borough Local Plan Scoping Consultation Document
8. Preparing the draft Vision and ‘measurable outcomes’
What is a Local Plan Vision?
The purpose of a Local Plan Vision is to set out how Dudley borough should change over the period of the plan (and beyond, where appropriate). The vision should set out key aims and objectives for the area and be ambitious (but also reflect what the plan policies can realistically achieve). It should set a clear direction for the spatial strategy and policy development, support high quality development and place-shaping, and provide a framework for delivery and monitoring of the plan. The draft NPPF (2025) Policy PM2 ‘Local Plans’ outlines these requirements further.
What should the new Local Plan Vision include?
The Dudley Local Plan sets out a Vision for the borough. Given its recent nature and that many of the key issues facing the borough remain the same, this is considered a good basis for the new Dudley Borough Local Plan Vision. It is however recognised that updates may be required to reflect changes to the national and local context, and national policy and guidance. The Dudley Local Plan Vision is:
By 2041, Dudley Borough, the historic capital of the Black Country, will be a place which has the benefit of:
- being an attractive, and desirable place to live, work and visit.
- being a destination of choice and for doing business
- having strong, inclusive, resilient, and thriving communities with enhanced health and social wellbeing.
- sustainable urban growth delivering distinctive places - meeting the needs of its communities and businesses.
- a wide range of housing that will meet people’s needs through their various life stages and is affordable to live in (all tenures).
- a network of vibrant centres, which maintain a retail focus, but embrace the area’s diversity, culture and heritage and benefit from additional local community and leisure orientated facilities, as well as increased resident populations.
- being a place of excellence in enterprise, education, and training, having thriving employment areas, providing more jobs in new and future technologies, and with better links to further education establishments, which are more accessible to all residents.
- having a network of high-quality parks, green spaces, waterways, and nature reserves.
- a high quality and beautiful natural, built and historic environment that respects and enhances local character and distinctiveness, including valued historic buildings and areas, and continues to be regarded as a tourist destination, and UNESCO Global Geopark with enhanced tourism facilities.
- being much more accessible and promoting more active forms of travel, especially by public transport and by a network of footpaths and cycleways providing connections to the rest of the West Midlands and the countryside around the borough.
Many elements of this existing Vision are still considered relevant to the new Dudley Borough Local Plan. This includes the continued need to focus on regeneration and meet the borough’s development needs as far as possible whilst ensuring its unique natural and historic environment assets are protected, conserved and enhanced. We would welcome comments on which elements of the Vision should be retained and where amendments or additional elements are necessary.
What should the ‘measurable outcomes’ accompanying the Vision include?
The new Dudley Borough Local Plan Vision will need to be accompanied by no more than 10 measurable outcomes to monitor progress towards the Vision. We suggest measurable outcomes are likely cover the following topics, reflecting national requirements and the local context:
- Housing need delivery, including the overall amount of housing delivered, the type and tenure of market and affordable housing, and the overall amount of affordable housing delivered.
- Employment need delivery, including the overall amount and type of employment land delivered e.g., by Use Classes.
- Economic growth and regeneration, including links to education and skills level indicators.
- Regeneration linked to the viability and vitality of the borough centres.
- Environmental assets (natural and historic), including any gains or losses of protected assets. Includes links to the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
- Climate change matters (such as flood risk) and progress towards carbon net zero.
- Social infrastructure- related to health and social indicators, including changes in access and the usage of such services (gains and losses of any infrastructure) and deprivation levels.
- Sustainable transport infrastructure- related to sustainable transport indicators, including changes in access and the usage of such services (gains and losses of any infrastructure).
- Design and the built environment, including links to regeneration and high-quality place making.
- Minerals and waste management indicators, including links to the circular economy.
Question 16. Do you have any comments on what the Vision for the new Dudley Borough Local Plan should include? Comment
Question 17. Do you have any comments on the measurable outcomes that the Vision should be accompanied by? Comment
