Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 19)

2.1. Dudley borough is a large metropolitan borough (98 square kilometres/38 square miles) located on the western part of the West Midlands conurbation at the heart of the Black Country. It shares an eastern boundary with the City of Birmingham and Sandwell MBC, and to the north with the City of Wolverhampton. To the west and south it is bounded by the districts of South Staffordshire, Wyre Forest and Bromsgrove and is within relatively close proximity to Shropshire. Its main towns are Brierley Hill, Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge.

Figure 2.1 Dudley Borough

2.2. Dudley has a rich cultural and industrial heritage and is often referred to as the historic capital of the Black Country, a name derived from its industrial past of coal mines and blast furnaces used for iron and steelmaking.

2.3. The area was one of the early centres of the Industrial Revolution due to its unique geology, generating wealth from coal and limestone mining, glassmaking, iron & steel. It was also formerly known for nail making, chain & anchor manufacturing and engineering works.

2.4. The borough is predominantly urban in character, but also contains extensive green space and natural assets and reserves - 18% of the land belongs to the green belt; 14% is public green space; and the area is home to ten sites of special scientific interest, two national nature reserves and seven local nature reserves. The Black Country was declared a UNESCO Global Geopark on Friday 10 July 2020. This was due to its internationally important geology because of its cultural heritage and the extensive partnerships committed to conserving managing and promoting it.

2.5. The borough has an extensive canal network totalling 13 canals (25.3km), and including listed assets, aqueducts, bridges and locks which have played an important role in shaping the development of the borough since the 18^th Century. Today, the canal network is not only important for its historic and archaeological value, but also its value for nature conservation, recreation, and tourism.

2.6. Dudley borough is home to 323,495 people - the 25th largest authority, in population size, in England.

2.7. Over the past three decades it has experienced slow population growth (growing 3.4% (around 10,600 people) since 2011)) in comparison to the other neighbouring Black Country authorities who have experienced growth rates between 6-11% over the same period and a 6.2% growth in the West Midlands and 6.6% for England over the same period.

2.8. Based on the 2021 census, there were 57,069 young people under the age of 15 living in the borough and 66,258 people aged 65 and over. The borough's population has a similar age structure to England with 20% of the population estimated to be aged 65 and over and 24% estimated to be young people aged 0-19. However, Dudley's age profile differs from that of the West Midlands and England whereby Dudley has a lower population age profile of 10-24 year olds than the West Midlands and England but has a greater population age profile of people aged 50 – 85+.

2.9. The age profile in Dudley between 2011 and 2021 as recorded by the 2021 Census shows that for Dudley the number of people aged 75 and over has grown by over 20%, with a notable increase in those aged between 50 and 74 also recorded. In Dudley there has been a fall in the number of people aged under 25 between 2011 and 2021. The younger cohort within the borough i.e., 0-19 year is forecast to decrease slightly in proportion to the make-up of the older population. The pattern of an ageing population is replicated at a regional and national level however, it is more pronounced in Dudley. The population in Dudley is therefore older than the West Midlands and England average.

2.10. The profile of Dudley's population mirrors that of the West Midlands and England with 50.8% of the population being female and 49.2% being male.

2.11. The ethnic diversity of the borough's population does not reflect that of the wider West Midlands or England with people of white British origin accounting for a larger proportion of the population than any other ethnic group. The 2021 census suggests 84.9% of borough's population is of white British origin in comparison to 77% for the West Midlands and 81% for England. Asian ethnic groups constitute 8.4% of the overall population in the borough in comparison to 13.3% for the West Midlands and 9.6% for England. 2.8% of the population are from mixed ethnic groups in comparison to 3% for both West Midlands and England. 2.5% of the population are from Black ethnic groups in comparison to 4.5% for West Midlands and 4.2% for England. A further 1.4% of the population are from other ethnic groups.

2.12. As of the 2021 Census, the borough contains 140,286 homes, an increase of 6,378 (4.8%) dwellings since the 2011 Census. Within the housing stock, there is a higher proportion of houses and bungalows (85.4%) compared to the average for West Midlands (83.7%) and England (77.4%). Flats and maisonettes make up 16% of the borough's stock in comparison to 15.9% for the West Midlands and 22.2% for England. Caravan's and mobile homes make up the remaining stock at 0.1%. Some 21,123 homes make up the Council's own housing stock. In 2021, some 2.3% of dwellings were empty or used as a second home, a lower vacancy rate than recorded for the West Midlands (4.8%) and England (6.0%).

2.13. Some 66.4% of the borough's stock is owner occupied which is higher than the West Midlands average of 62.8% or the average for England 61.3%. In Dudley the proportion of households in shared ownership accommodation at 0.5% is lower than the regional and national equivalents (0.8% and 1.0% respectively). Dudley's private rented sector has grown over the past ten years by 5% from 9% in 2011 to 14% in 2021. However, it has a smaller private rented sector compared to the West Midlands (18.1%) and England (20.6%). Social rented housing forms 19% of the housing tenure across the borough slightly higher in comparison to the West Midlands (18.2%) and England (17.1%).

2.14. There are 137,067 households in the borough of which 30.4% are 1 person households (higher than regional and national figures), 33.9% are two person households, 16.6% are 3 person households and 19.1% are 4 people or more. The average household size is 2.35 which is a similar pattern to that of both the West Midlands and England

2.15. Average house prices across the borough have increased by 31.3% over the last five years (2019-2023) to £239,034, compared to an increase of 22.2% nationally and a growth of 22.4% across the region. Average rents in Dudley have risen by 26.6% over the last five years, compared to an increase of 17.8% nationally and a growth of 23.8% across the wider region. In 2023 the affordability ratio for Dudley is currently 6.84 in comparison to 7.18 for the West Midlands and 8.26 nationally.

2.16. Dudley Borough plays an important role in the West Midlands economy, with a high number of businesses in the borough relative to its working age population providing around 10,215 businesses and a workforce of 112,000 people and 136,000 jobs.

2.17. As a borough it produced £5.5 billion of economic output (GVA) in 2021. There are high rates of economic activity (79.7% compared to national average of 76.8%) and low rates of unemployment 17.7% compared to national average of 21%). Evidence suggests that the borough has recovered from the pandemic at a much faster rate than its neighbouring Black Country authorities. As shown above the local employment rate (January 2023 to December 2023) was 79.7% and median wages in 2023 were £31,635 which was below the England figure of £34,953.

2.18. The top employment sectors in the borough are the health and wellbeing sector (25,000); retail (23,000 jobs), manufacturing (17,000); business services (16,700) and the public sector, including education (15,500).

2.19. Dudley is home to Dudley Castle and Zoological Gardens, the Black Country Living Museum, Dudley Canal Trust and the Head Quarters of the Black Country Global Geopark. Such attractions generated 9.4m day trips in 2022 contributing £401m to the local economy.

2.20. Dudley is ranked 104^th most derived of 317 local authorities with 29% of the population living in areas amongst the most 20% deprived in England. Some areas of the borough are more deprived than others with challenges around Dudley, Brierley Hill and Lye town centres.

2.21. The average life expectancy is 82.4 years for women and 78.3 years for men. In the most deprived areas, life expectancy for men is 9.2 years lower than in the least deprived areas and 8.6 years lower for women.

2.22. According to the 2021 Census, 19.3% of the borough's residents meet the definition for measuring disability in line with the Equality Act (2010). Whereas 80.7% were classified as not disabled in accordance with the Equality Act.

2.23. Dudley has higher rates of physically inactive adults and children and higher rates of obesity than those for England which can be seen from an early age through to adulthood.

2.24. Qualification levels within Dudley are below the regional (West Midlands Combined Authority area) and national levels but are among the best within the Black Country area. Most recent data from the Annual Population survey (2021) suggests that just over a third of the borough's residents (35%) are qualified to degree level (NVQ4⁺) with only 8% having no qualifications.

2.25. In 2019 only 59% of Dudley pupils were meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 compared to 65% for England.

2.26. As of March 2024,, 81.3% of the borough's school children attended a Good or Outstanding school and 91.4% of young people (aged 16-18) were participating in education, employment or training compared to 91.4% for England. In 2023, 55% of Dudley pupils were meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 compared to 60% nationally.

2.27. The borough covers 38 square miles / 98 square kilometres. Though predominantly an urban area, 18% of the borough is designated as green belt and 14% categorised as publicly accessible open spaces.

2.28. There are ten Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) of national importance for their geology and/or biodiversity, two National Nature Reserves (Wrens Nest and Saltwells) and seven Local Nature Reserves, plus the River Stour and 15 miles of canal network. 6.7 square miles of the borough is covered with trees and there is 15.4 linear miles of canal network.

2.29. Dudley forms an integral part of the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark. There are 45 'Geosites' located across the Black Country with 16 of these falling within Dudley.

2.30. There are 2 Registered Parks and Gardens (The Leasowes and Priory Park), 11 Scheduled Monuments, 22 Conservation Areas, which are areas of special architectural or historic interest and are a particularly important part of the borough's heritage.

2.31. There are around 300 Statutory Listed Buildings in the borough which are considered of national importance and are given special protection against inappropriate alteration or demolition. In addition, just under 300 buildings of historic or architectural significance are on Dudley's "Local List" and are considered worthy of protection and conservation for their contribution to local character and distinctiveness.

2.32. The borough has an extensive transport infrastructure with 647 miles / 1,041 kilometres of roads and access to the motorway network near Dudley and Halesowen.

2.33. A train line links Stourbridge to Birmingham, and a new 11km Metro line is under construction. Phase one will link Dudley and phase two Brierley Hill with the wider West Midlands Metro and facilitate easy access to the national rail network. Preparatory works for the new Metro line began on Castle Hill in Dudley in February 2020, with plans for up to 14 stops. Passenger services between Wednesbury and Dudley are expected to start in 2024/25, with funding solutions currently being sought for the line extension to Brierley Hill to allow construction at the earliest opportunity.

2.34. Overall, 63.9% of the borough's residents in employment travel to work by car, 5.6% walk, 4.2% take a bus and 1.4% a train or tram. 21.7% work mainly from home as recorded by 2021 Census.