Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 19)

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.

Figure 5.1 Spatial Strategy Plan: Dudley Borough 

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.

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:

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.

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 10,470 new homes over the period 2024-41, compared to a local housing need for 11,169 homes as calculated by the Standard Method, creating a shortfall of 699 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 22.6ha and a shortfall of 50ha (76ha 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 is detailed in the DtC paper which supports the DLP.