Draft Black Country Plan

(51) 1 Sub-Areas and Site Allocations

(748) A. Dudley

(2) Introduction

A1 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.

A2 Whilst once a key industrial town, a range of high quality and varied attractions now contribute to its historic landscape and heritage value, including: Dudley Castle, which dates back to the 11^th Century; the internationally renowned Zoological Gardens; the open-air Black Country Living Museum; and Dudley Canal Trust, which has a sixteen-mile canal network. The tourism sector in Dudley makes a significant economic impact to the borough and the wider sub-region, supporting 10,575 jobs and generating some £405 million in the local economy^[1].

A3 The borough is predominantly urban in character, but also contains extensive green space, natural assets and nature reserves. The southern and western fringes of the borough form part of the West Midlands Green Belt, which also extends into the urban area as a series of green 'corridors'. Some 18% of the land in the borough is designated as green belt; with a further 14% being public green space. The borough is home to one Special Area of Conservation (SAC), ten Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), two National Nature Reserves and seven Local Nature Reserves. Dudley, along with the other districts of the Black Country, achieved UNESCO Global Geopark status in July 2020.

A4 Dudley has a growing and diverse population of over 320,000 residents, the second largest population across the BCA, of which 19.4% are young people; 60.2% are working age and 20.4% are aged 65 and above. There is an equal mix of male and females and in 2016 it was estimated that 12.6% of residents were from Black and Minority Ethnic groups^[2]. At 72%, the borough's employment rate is higher than the average of 68.3% across the Black Country.

A5 Dudley was once a key industrial town generating wealth from coal and limestone mining, glass, iron and steel production. Despite a decline in activity since the 1970s, the area has retained manufacturing as a core industry, and today the sector employs 18,000 people in Dudley and contributes 15% of the local economy's GVA. The service sector in Dudley accounts for almost 80% of total employment with Public Administration, Education and the Health sector accounting for the highest proportion of employment.

A6 The Covid-19 pandemic had an immediate and significant impact on the UK economy in 2020, with a particular effect on the retail, tourism and hospitality sectors, as well as the manufacturing and construction sectors. Given the predominance of these sectors in Dudley, the pandemic has had a disproportionate adverse impact on the borough. Dudley Council has pro-actively responded to the challenges presented by Covid-19 and is shaping interventions across the borough to address the impact of the pandemic.
 

(14) The Strategy

A7 Notwithstanding the key issues outlined above, Dudley Council is continuing to provide a framework which includes placemaking as a tool in order to support, promote and delivereconomic and social regeneration, with significant public and private sector investment planned across the borough. In addition to recent investment, the area has the following key strengths to build on:

• People and communities – diverse, healthy and safe communities; thriving community and voluntary sector; and strong civic pride and community resilience;
• Place – world renowned cultural and heritage assets; strategic transport investments; a growing learning quarter; excellent digital connectivity and commitment to a sustainable environment;
• Business – sectoral strengths (health, retail, manufacturing, education); Dudley Enterprise Zone; Dudley Business First.
   

(10) Dudley Borough's Vision

A8 'Forging a future for all' is a shared vision for Dudley borough, developed in 2018, following extensive consultation with key partners and stakeholders. It is built around seven aspirations and goals to be reached by 2030:

• Towns – Dudley will have thriving, regenerated town centres where people are proud, work, shop and spend leisure time;
• Education – outstanding local schools, colleges and universities which secure excellent results for their learners;
• Business – a portfolio of quality industrial, retail and commercial premises;
• Tourism – an attractive tourism offer with a rich industrial, historical and geological focus
• Transport- improved public transport system linking Dudley borough to other Black Country strategic centres, the wider region and the national rail network;
• Environment – Dudley will be an affordable and attractive place to live, with a green network of high-quality parks, waterways and nature reserves that are valued by local people and visitors. There will be a strong affinity to local centres, supporting health, wellbeing and prosperity; and
• Community – Dudley will be a place with healthy, resilient, safe communities with high aspirations and the ability to shape their own future. Dudley will have improved health outcomes and higher wellbeing.

A9 The BCP forms an essential part of this strategy, supporting the recovery and growth of the economy, and providing for a continuous supply of new homes to meet the needs of local communities. The BCP will ensure that the borough's network of open spaces will be protected and enhanced to support its natural assets and can continue to provide opportunities to improve health and well-being whilst ensuring that development is located where it can provide convenient access for all sections of the community to work, shopping, health, education, leisure, green space and other facilities.

A10 The BCP supports the delivery of 13,235 new homes and 22ha employment land to 2039, supporting the growth of the borough's population to around 350,000 people by 2040. To plan for this growth, Dudley is prioritising locations that are both sustainable and deliverable in line with the Spatial Strategy set out in Policy CSP1. This growth will be supported by transport investment, focused on the rapid transit network and key road corridors as well as investment in walking and cycling.

Figure 15 - Dudley Spatial Plan

(456) Table 13 - Dudley Growth Targets (2020 - 2039)

(43) Brierley Hill Strategic Centre

A12 Brierley Hill Strategic Centre, as designated on the Policies Map and shown in Figure 16, incorporates both the traditional High Street and the Merry Hill Centre. The traditional Brierley Hill High Street is a separate entity (i.e. excluding Merry Hill) and represents a retail area that serves its immediate hinterland and local community. The Merry Hill Centre is a key element of the Brierley Hill economic and physical landscape. It represents the single largest quantity of managed floorspace within the Black Country Local Authorities' (BCLA) area and is a regional centre of significance and ranks within the top 100 retail centres nationally (Experian). It has a wide catchment area that encompasses the Black Country and beyond.

A13 The BCP supports the diversification, repurposing and rejuvenation of the Strategic Centre. Changing shopping patterns and challenges to the high street will be addressed through increased flexibility and facilitating the consolidation of the shopping core (particularly to reduce vacancy rates), complemented by office and leisure-led mixed uses, and supported by maximising residential provision in all locations (including the use of upper floors). The future of the centre, as with most strategic centres across the Black Country, is dependent on ensuring less reliance on retail to generate footfall and to support alternative uses (potentially including mixed uses) that function both during the day and into the evening.

A14 The Brierley Hill Town Centre Investment Programme, supported by £10 million funding from the Government's Future High Street Fund, will deliver environmental improvements and improved pedestrian access to the High Street/Metro and Merry Hill. There is significant potential to redevelop vacant properties for office and new residential uses, alongside estate renewal opportunities. In addition, Dudley Council secured a further £1.8m of funding for the Brierley Hill High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ). It is a Government funded and run by Historic England with the aim of making the high street a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work and spend time. Brierley Hill High Street was one of 68 High Street across England selected to receive a share of the fund. The character and quality of both the cultural and civic function of the strategic centre and the built and natural environment will be improved, helping to make it a sustainable, healthy and attractive place to shop, live, work and visit. This will be achieved through BCP Policies (particularly CSP2, CEN2 and Environmental Transformation Policies).

Figure 16 - Brierley Hill Strategic Centre

 

A15 The Black Country Centres Study advises that the future prosperity of the Brierley Hill Strategic Centre is predicated on the need to reduce its reliance on the retail sector and instead seek alternative mixed uses that generate a daytime and evening economy.

A16 The key opportunities for Brierley Hill Strategic Centre are:

a) The diversification of uses within the centre, including the potential for a growth in leisure, restaurants and pubs, education and community facilities provision.
b) The identification of sites for a significant increase in new housing.
c) The programmed Midland Metro route, which runs through the centre with several stops proposed, including a potential interchange at Canal Street, including integrating stations within a network of pathways and cycleways.
d) The challenge of climate change and adapting to a low carbon future, including the further greening of the centre and the provision of renewable energy initiatives, including the provision of EV charging points.
e) Raising the profile of the High Street and capitalising on the successful Future High Streets (FHS) and Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) funding bids.
f) The Enterprise Zone (DY5 EZ), including the new university music faculty at The Waterfront.
g) The retention of The Waterfront primarily as an office centre.
h) The creation of high-quality public realm and more communal spaces and community focal points.
i) Improving the linkages between the Merry Hill Centre and Brierley Hill High Street, and the centre and the adjoining nature reserves.
j) Comprehensive 5G broadband coverage.

A17 Policy CSP2 sets the critical role of the four strategic centres as the key drivers to deliver the overall growth strategy. This is supplemented by Policy CEN2, which defines this role in more detail, providing specific guidance on the range of activities and scale of development that will be appropriate.

A18 The strategic centre benefits from an existing Area Action Plan (AAP) which was adopted in 2011. The AAP is currently the subject of a review and will be referred to as the Brierley Hill Plan (BHP). It is proposed that the BHP Issues and Options Report, which is due to be consulted upon after the consultation on the draft BCP, will present different options on the extent of the plan area and strategic centre boundaries. These will include an option that this boundary remains the same as those within the AAP. However, this may also mean that, subject to consultation on the BHP, the responses received and further assessment, the boundary of Brierley Hill Strategic Centre will change from that shown in Figure 16, and therefore be revised within later stages of the BCP.

A19 As stated above the AAP is currently subject to a review, with the review document (BHP) programmed for adoption shortly after the approval of the BCP. At this stage, the existing Brierley Hill AAP will be superseded (in total) by the new BHP, including the existing AAP land use allocations and policies.

A20 Therefore, for the purposes of applying Policies CEN1-6, within Brierley Hill Strategic Centre the following AAP policies are relevant in defining in-centre boundaries, but will be superseded post-BCP adoption within the BHP:

• Retail – Primary Shopping Area (AAP Policies 45 and 46)
• Office – AAP boundary (and AAP Policies 46 and 48)
• Leisure - AAP boundary (and AAP Policy 46)

A21 The housing capacity for the strategic centre outlined in Table 13 is based on the existing AAP allocations and recent evidence including the Black Country Centre's study and the DY5 Enterprise Zone Review by Cushman Wakefield. It includes an estimated uplift as detailed in the Black Country Urban Capacity Review 2021. This capacity will be further tested through the AAP review but provides a sound basis to understand the housing capacity for the Strategic Centre for the purposes of this Plan.

A22 The Brierley Hill AAP also has the following targets for other land uses, carried through from the Black Country Core Strategy: -

• Offices – an additional 220,000 sq. m (gross) of floorspace
• Comparison Retail – an additional 95,000 sq. m (gross) of floorspace

A23 However, current evidence highlights future uncertainty and little capacity to support additional floorspace for these land uses. Subject to further assessment, monitoring and review, this evidence will inform the scope for future land use allocations within the BHP.
 

(1) Central Core Regeneration Area

A24 The Central Core Regeneration Areais focussedon A461 Birmingham Road / Stourbridge Road and the Midland Metro Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension. It is centred on the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Growth Corridor, recognised as a priority for investment in the WMCA SIDP and the West Midlands Housing Deal.

A25 The areacontains the town centres of Dudley (which has a tourism focus of regional and national significance) and Stourbridge and runs adjacent to the Brierley Hill Strategic Centre.

A26 The area has major regeneration and renewal opportunities (inc. Netherton) for new employment and residential development, which will be well-connected by public transport via the new Dudley Interchange and the metro extension, to retail, office and leisure opportunities at Brierley Hill Strategic Centre and DY5 Enterprise Zone.

A27 The area is well connected to important road, canal and tram infrastructure, that link Dudley with the Black Country, the national rail network and the wider hinterland. Utilising the opportunities presented by the extended Metro line serving Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, proposals are being put forward to enhance rapid public transport connectivity along the Brierley Hill to Stourbridge corridor.

A28 In and around Dudley town centre a series of public sector-led interventions have been implemented since 2012 and as of 2021, a programme of further investment is on site or planned that will deliver the comprehensive regeneration of the area. This includes the Metro Extension; Dudley Transport Interchange; construction of the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC), the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology and the extension of the Black Country Living Museum. There are further aspirations to deliver a new higher education facility, creating a University Centre and Learning Quarter at Castle Hill, that will stimulate the transformational change of the town centre.

A29 The Plan supports the role of the Central Core Regeneration Area as a major Growth Corridor and offers the opportunity to enhance the town centres of Dudley and Stourbridge and the corridor between them. The extension of the Metro through Dudley and Brierley Hill and the proposed further extension of a rapid transit system from Brierley Hill to Stourbridge, provide a game changing opportunity for the economic, social and environmental regeneration of the Borough. The location of housing and employment land opportunities along the route of the metro has the potential to facilitate significant housing and employment growth within the catchment of new stations.

A30 New development will respect and enhance the historic character and local distinctiveness of the area, with investment in environmental infrastructure including the canals, open spaces and wildlife habitats.
 

(3) Jewellery Line Core Regeneration Area

A31 The Jewellery Line Core Regeneration Area is focused on Lye whichhas been identified as a key housing-led regeneration area within the Dudley Borough Development Strategy^[3]. In the region of 880 homes have been identified for development primarily on obsolete employment sites adjacent to the district centre, Lye Station and along the river Stour corridor.

A32 Opportunities exist to consolidate the area as a location for housing growth through the development of outdated or obsolete areas of industrial land and the exploitation of the excellent main-line rail links. Lye is well-connected to key road and rail networks. Lye Station lies on the Birmingham-Worcester railway line (Jewellery Line), with central Birmingham and future links to HS2 just 25 minutes away. The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension, to be completed in 2022, will improve connectivity between Lye and employment opportunities at Brierley Hill, Dudley and the wider sub-region.

A33 Lye has been promoted as one of the Black Country Garden City locations^[4] by the Black Country LEP. The original Garden City movement focused on improving quality of life and society living and functioning within the natural environment.

A34 The Plan will support the comprehensive development of Lye and its surrounding area as an Urban Garden City, creating an enhanced sense of place by seeking to improve its housing offer, realise the economic potential of the area, enhance the District Centre and local community facilities, whilst at the same time enhancing the Stour Valley and protecting the area's environment and nature conservation value.
 

North West Core Regeneration Area

A35 The North West Core Regeneration Area is focussed on the area of Pensnett. The area is served by Pensnett Trading Estate, one of the largest secure business estates in Europe, and home to 160 businesses, as well as adjacent industrial areas, providing a major employment location for the borough.

The Plan identifies opportunities for new residential communities, including the former Ketley Quarry site (strategic allocation DSA3), providing additional high-quality housing. New housing development will provide additional catchment for Kingswinford District Centre and for Pensnett and Wall Health local centres, helping to sustain their resilience and vitality as local centres. The BCP promotes enhanced connectivity to local facilities via more sustainable transport links (public transport, walking and cycling) and enhanced environmental improvements. Development will protect and enhance the area's wildlife corridor, which runs between the green belt from South Staffordshire into the urban areas of Brierley Hill, Pensnett and Dudley. There are also important ecological links to Fens Pools Local Nature Reserve and its Special Area of Conservation. Opportunities to contribute to the Wildlife Corridor between Fens Pools SAC and Baggeridge Country Park should be explored as part of future developments in the area.
 

(14) Dudley Towns and Neighbourhoods Area

A36 The Plan includes existing Towns and Neighbourhood Areas such as Halesowen, Sedgley, Coseley and Stourbridge. These areas are established residential and employment areas served by a network of district and local centres as defined in Policy CEN1 and CEN5, as well as providing local employment opportunities and community facilities to serve communities outside the strategic centre and Core Regeneration Areas. The BCP seeks to sustain and enhance these areas by ensuring a mix of good quality residential areas through a constant supply of small-scale development opportunities and potential renewal.

A37 The Towns and Neighbourhoods Area also includes a new Neighbourhood Growth Area in Kingswinford where two sites, Land south of Holbeache Lane / Wolverhampton Road in Kingswinford and Land at Swindon Road in Wall Heath, will be released from the green belt. This will be covered by a Strategic Allocation and will be the focus of new residential growth. There will be a requirement for development proposed on allocated sites to be of the highest quality and accommodate the correct infrastructure provision in the right places. Housing growth in this part of the borough will be supported by a strengthened local infrastructure, including local highway improvements, and creation of new green spaces of value for residents and wildlife. New housing development will provide additional catchment for Kingswinford District Centre and Wall Health local centres, helping to sustain their resilience and vitality as local centres. These requirements will be addressed through the production of master plans for the sites in accordance with Policy CPS3 and policies DSA1 and DSA2 below.
 

(20) Green Belt Areas

A38 The green belt areas of Dudley form a series of wedges and urban fringe areas and perform many different functions. The green belt areas do contain some rural landscapes, including agricultural land such as around Halesowen and Stourbridge. However, much of the green belt is captured within the urban area and provides a network of natural and formal open spaces, historic parks, such as Leasowes, education buildings, recreational facilities (such as Stourbridge and Halesowen golf courses), and other infrastructure (such as sewage works, sub-stations and cemeteries). Fens Pools SAC forms an important wedge of the green belt in the heart of borough's urban area. Opportunities to contribute to the wildlife corridor between Fens Pools SAC and Baggeridge Country Park is a priority for improvement and extension.
 

Delivering the Strategy

A39 This strategy will be delivered by:

a) A review of the adopted Brierley Hill Area Action Plan (AAP), to be known as the Brierley Hill Plan to refresh detailed site allocations within the strategic centre boundary in a comprehensive manner, in accordance with the Vision and strategic priorities set out in Policy CSP2.
b) The allocation of sites and implementation of policies in this Plan across the administrative area to accommodate housing and employment development.
c) The saving of policies contained in the Dudley Borough Development Strategy and the Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge Area Action Plans (AAP) unless specifically replaced by Policies in the Black Country Plan as listed in Appendix A1.

A40 A number of the Development Allocations replace existing allocations made in adopted Local Plan documents, which formed part of the Dudley Policies Map. Where this is the case, the previous allocation reference and the Local Plan document concerned are listed in Appendix A1. Appendix A2 provides details of all other Local Plan designations in Dudley that have also been replaced or amended through this Plan. Such changes have only been made where this is necessary to deliver development allocations.

A41 Where town centre policies contain a housing element which have counted towards Dudley's housing provision, but do not form part of the Black Country Plan allocations, these have been listed in Appendix A3.

A42 Detailed site and designation boundaries can be viewed on the online Policies Map for Dudley.
 

(3217) Development Allocations

A43 Outside the strategic centre, Table 14 provides details of all development allocations made through this Plan within Dudley. A number of these allocations are of strategic significance to the delivery of the Plan because of their size, either individually or in combination with adjoining allocations. Each strategic allocation has a separate policy, providing details of the specific constraints and requirements affecting development, which should be read alongside the information for the allocation provided in Table 14.

 

 

 

 

(1) Strategic Waste Management Sites

A44 The existing strategic sites identified on the Waste Key Diagram are the significant waste management facilities operating in the Black Country. They have been identified through a detailed analysis of all known licenced and exempt facilities in each authority area. Under Policy W2 (Waste Sites), the BCA will safeguard all existing strategic and other waste management facilities from inappropriate development, in order to maintain existing levels of waste management capacity and meet Strategic Priority 13, "To manage waste as a resource and minimise the amount produced and sent to landfill".

A45 The strategic waste management sites within Dudley Borough are listed in Table 17:
 

 

Preferred Areas for New Waste Facilities

A46 A number of employment areas have been identified in the Black Country Waste Study (BCWS) as being most suited to the development of new waste recovery, waste treatment and waste transfer infrastructure.

A47 Under Policy W3 (Preferred Areas for New Waste Facilities), these areas are considered least likely to give rise to land use conflicts, and in several cases, there is already co-location of existing waste facilities to which new sites would contribute.

A48 There is only one such area in Dudley Borough, and this is identified on the Waste Key Diagram and listed in Table 18:

Table 18 - Preferred areas for new waste facilities in Dudley (BCP Policy W3)

A49 The Black Country Minerals Study (BCMS, Tables 12.10 and 12.9) lists all known existing mineral sites and mineral infrastructure sites in the Black Country. Existing mineral sites within the Black Country include permitted mineral extraction sites, stockpiles, brick and tile works, and a pot clay factory. Existing Black Country mineral infrastructure sites include secondary / recycled aggregates production, rail-linked aggregates depots, coating plants, ready-mix (RMX) concrete batching plants, manufacture of concrete products, and dry silo mortar (DSM) plants.

A50 Under Policy MIN2 (Minerals Safeguarding Areas, MSAs), the BCA will safeguard all existing mineral sites and mineral infrastructure sites from inappropriate development – this being necessary in order to retain existing capacity, and thereby helping to make best use of and conserve the Black Country's finite mineral resources and meet Strategic Priority 14, to manage the Black Country's mineral resources (Objective - Meeting our resource and infrastructure needs).

A51 The locations of these Black Country mineral sites and mineral infrastructure sites are identified on the Minerals Key Diagram; those sites located within Dudley Borough are listed in the following tables:
 

Table 19 - Mineral Sites in Dudley

 

Table 20 - Mineral infrastructure sites in Dudley (BCP Policy MIN2)

Policies for Strategic Allocations

 

A52 The Land South of Holbeache Lane / Wolverhampton Road Strategic Allocation falls within the Kingswinford Neighbourhood Growth Area and covers BCP Allocation DUH208. It is proposed that the site be removed from the green belt and be allocated to deliver approximately 330 homes at an average net density of 40 dph.

A53 The estimated phasing of delivery is:

• 2030 - 2035 155 homes
• 2035 – 2039 175 homes

A54 There will be a requirement for the development of the site to deliver homes and infrastructure of the highest quality design and functionality, and to accommodate the required infrastructure provision to fully mitigate for the release of this site from the green belt and to deliver maximum benefits to the local environment and community. The key planning requirements for the Holbeache Lane / Wolverhampton Road Strategic Allocation are set out below. Other standard policy requirements, as set out in the BCP and Dudley Local Plan documents and SPDs, will also apply. A masterplan will be prepared to guide the development of the Strategic Allocation. This will provide further detail on the requirements set out in this policy and will provide a spatial framework for development.

A55 The site is in one ownership and is situated in close proximity to strategic sites and Policy DSA2: Land at Swindon Road, Wall Heath, Kingswinford Strategic Allocation and Policy DSA3: Ketley Quarry Strategic Allocation. The cumulative impact of the sites (and other housing / employment allocations) on local infrastructure provision will need to be considered, in terms of:

• school place impacts;
• highways impacts;
• delivery of green belt loss mitigation;
• delivery of biodiversity net gain;
• delivery of recreational open space improvement.

A56 Once the BCP has been adopted, allocations should be developed in accordance with the criteria identified in respect of each site and all general policy requirements, including any necessary developer contributions.

School Place Requirements

A57 It is currently anticipated that both primary and secondary school place requirements arising from housing developments in the north west of Dudley over the Plan period will be capable of being met through extensions to existing primary and secondary schools. Pedestrian and public transport improvements to increase accessibility to local primary and secondary schools may be required in accordance with Policy HOU2.

Highways Requirements

A58 It is essential that a cycling and walking network which includes active travel routes around key sites should form a key part of the site layout providing connections to all nearby local amenities, including local primary schools and local centres. These connections should include pedestrian crossing improvements at the A449 to enable safe crossing of the highway. Details will need to be set out in the master plan.

A59 It is considered that a vehicular access point could be gained from the existing roundabout (A449 / A491) to the west of the site, subject to junction capacity analysis and wider transport modelling. A potential second access to Oak Lane via an improved Ham Lane could be provided. Highway and junction improvements would be required to Wall Heath and Kingswinford centres, as well as Stalling Lane and A449/ Himley Road. Details will be set out in the masterplan.

Green Belt Loss Mitigation Requirements

A60 Measures to provide sufficient mitigation for the loss of green belt cannot be confirmed yet; rather this will be set out in the publication version of the BCP.

A61 There will be a requirement for all green belt loss mitigation works and any necessary transfer of land ownership to be completed before the substantial completion of development.

A62 The green belt boundary has been redrawn around the development site. In most cases there is an existing landscaped buffer or road that provides a defensible new green belt boundary. It is recommended that a buffer of landscaped open space is provided along the northern portion of the site, in order to ensure development is appropriately screened from the historically sensitive Holbeache Lane and Holbeache House. Developments should be designed to minimise potential harm to the integrity of remaining green belt areas and to landscape character, as identified in the Black Country Green Belt Study and Black Country Landscape Sensitivity Assessment.

Nature Conservation and Net Biodiversity Gain Requirements

A63 All existing SINCs, SLINCs, tree preservation orders, hedgerows, woodland and significant trees both within and adjoining the development sites should be retained, protected and incorporated sympathetically into the design of development. Sufficient buffer areas should be provided at the edge of these habitat areas, particularly mature trees and hedgerows, to allow them to thrive following development (see ENV4).

A64 It is anticipated that net biodiversity gain requirements for the developments will be met through delivery of the green belt loss mitigation requirements, subject to the minimum 10% requirement identified in the Environment Bill / Act and the requirements of Policy ENV3.

Historic Environment Requirements

A65 Located adjacent to this allocation, on its northern boundary, is the Grade II* listed Holbeache House and its curtilage (List Entry Number 1228293). The impact of any proposals on the setting and significance of this designated heritage asset will be a material planning consideration for development. Also, in close proximity to this allocation, on its northern and north-eastern boundary, is the Oak Farm Wedge Area of High Historic Landscape Value (AHHLV 38), a non-designated heritage asset.

A66 Applicants will therefore be required to support their proposals with a Statement of Heritage Significance (prepared in accordance with Historic England's latest guidance) illustrating that proposals have been formulated with a full appreciation of the requirements of Section 66(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and with the policies relating to designated and non-designated heritage assets laid out in the NPPF and local plan.

A67 The design of the development should not impact on the existing character and appearance of Holbeache Lane, which provides a significant contribution to the setting and significance of Holbeache House and is also one of the positive features that contributes to the Oak Farm Wedge AHHLV.

Recreational Open Space Requirements

A68 The incorporation of high-quality landscaping across the development should be a significant forethought of the design process. A well landscaped green buffer is required to the north of the site, which should also provide a neighbourhood area for play. In effect this should separate development completely from the historically sensitive elements to the north.

A69 Further to this, there should be some offsetting of development to the south of the site where existing dwelling houses are located, and well-used informal pedestrian routes exist. It is understood that a high-pressure gas pipeline runs across the middle of the site, which may require some offsetting of development if it were to be retained.

Sustainable Drainage Requirements

A70 Naturalised sustainable drainage systems that are sufficient to retain greenfield runoff rates should be provided for the site, in accordance with Policy CC6. An allowance for the space necessary to accommodate these systems has been made when defining the indicative net developable area. This allowance may be adjusted when the master plan is prepared.

Local Wastewater Treatment Capacity

A71 This site is served by Roundhill WwTW and it is not anticipated that there are any issues with the site handling additional flow during the Plan period.

Design principles

A72 The development of the site will form a new community and neighbourhood on green belt land; all proposals must have distinguishable merit in their design and form. Only high-quality design that is bespoke, unique and specific to the site will be acceptable, in line with the requirements of Policies CSP4 and ENV9 among others. The incorporation of high-quality landscaping across the development should be a significant part of the initial design process. A well-landscaped green buffer is required to the north of the site, which should also provide a neighbourhood area for play. It should also be a continuous green thread, which links in with other treed areas and hedgerows in and around the site to provide a meaningful wildlife corridor. All mature trees and hedgerows should be maintained as this will be vital to mitigate some of the visual impact of developing this green belt site.

A73 Development should sit behind the existing tree-lined boundary along the A449 and should be outward looking making use of continuous perimeter roads to aid connectivity and permeability. The site as a whole should be highly permeable, avoiding the use of private drives and cul-de-sacs that limit on-foot and cycle connectivity. The layout of development should consider as a priority the amenity of existing residents to the south of the site, specifically those with dwellings that back onto it. Where possible the site layout should also seek to maintain and maximise key views across the development (predominantly south-east to north-west). Although there are no key commutable desire lines across the site, at current it is well-used for leisure by residents. This reinforces the need for a well-connected and permeable site layout as well as for an enhanced element of open space to make up for the loss of the site as whole.

A74 Due to the sensitive historic location of the site and existing green belt setting, it is considered that apartments would not be acceptable here.

Nature Conservation and Net Biodiversity Gain Requirements

A75 The site is currently a large arable field surrounded by species-rich hedgerows – designated as SLINC, with rich ground flora. The site is adjacent to a woodland SLINC and has connectivity to the wider open countryside to the north of the site via arable fields and hedgerows. Mature hedgerows form the boundary of the arable area and the grassland areas of the site. These will need to be retained as part of the development as they support a wide variety of flora, support breeding birds and create a nesting and foraging habitat for many species. They include large stretches of intact, stock-proof hedge, and stretches of defunct, non-stock proof, hedge with gaps. The hedgerow adjacent to the Wolverhampton Road (A491) has several large, mature trees within it, including Norway maple and aspen. These will need to be retained as part of the development.

 

 

A76 Land at Swindon Road, Wall Heath, Kingswinford will be allocated for new residential growth and will form part of the Kingswinford Neighbourhood Growth Area; it includes BCP Allocation DUH211. It is proposed that the site be removed from the green belt and be allocated to deliver approximately 533 homes at an average net density of 40 dph.

A77 The estimated phasing of delivery is:

• 2030 - 2035 280 homes
• 2035- 2039 253 homes

A78 There will be a requirement for the development of the site to deliver homes and infrastructure of the highest quality design and functionality, and to accommodate the required infrastructure provision to fully mitigate for the release of this site from the green belt and to deliver maximum benefits to the local environment and community. There will be a requirement for the development of the site to be of the highest quality and accommodate the correct infrastructure provision in the right places. The key planning requirements for the Swindon Road, Wall Heath Strategic Allocation are set out below. Other standard policy requirements, as set out in the BCP and Dudley Local Plan documents and SPDs, will also apply. A master plan will be prepared to guide the development of the strategic allocation. This will provide further detail on the requirements set out in this Policy and will provide a spatial framework for development.

A79 The site is in one ownership and is situated near strategic sites: Policy DSA1: South of Holbeache Lane / Wolverhampton Road Strategic Allocation and Policy DSA3: Ketley Quarry Strategic Allocation. The cumulative impact of these sites (and other housing / employment allocations) on local infrastructure provision will need to be considered, in terms of:

• school place impacts;
• highways impacts;
• delivery of green belt loss mitigation;
• delivery of biodiversity net gain;
• delivery of recreational open space improvement.

A80 Once the BCP has been adopted, allocations should be developed in accordance with the criteria identified in respect of each site and all general policy requirements, including any necessary developer contributions.

School Place Requirements

A81 It is currently anticipated that both primary and secondary school place requirements arising from housing developments in the north west of Dudley over the Plan period will be capable of being met through extensions to existing primary and secondary schools. Pedestrian and public transport improvements to increase accessibility to local primary and secondary schools may be required in accordance with Policy HOU2.

A82 Should it be determined that some form of primary school provision is required as the BCP progresses towards adoption, this may need to be accommodated on the site and land will need to be allocated to accommodate a two-form entry primary school (approximately 2.4ha).

Highways Requirements

A83 Highway infrastructure is necessary in order for any development to function effectively and to minimise impacts on surrounding road junctions. It is considered that there should be three points of vehicular access, including from Swindon Road to the north and Lodge Lane to the south. The number of access points required, and their precise location should be subject to further detailed transport assessment. Connections should be made through the site, so that pedestrians and vehicles can travel from Swindon Road, through to the A449 or Lodge Lane as they choose. A cycling and walking network which includes active travel routes around key sites should form a key part of the site layout providing connections to all nearby local amenities, including local primary schools and local centres. Details will need to be set out in the master plan.

Green Belt Loss Mitigation Requirements

A84 Measures to provide sufficient mitigation for the loss of green belt cannot be confirmed yet; rather this will be set out in the publication version of the BCP.

A85 There will be a requirement for all green belt loss mitigation works and any necessary transfer of land ownership to be completed before substantial completion of development. Being a green belt site, the retention and provision of high-quality landscaping should be a significant first stage in the design process. Aside from the aforementioned considerations regarding open space, mature trees along the periphery and within the site should be retained, as well as hedgerows within the site where possible.

A86 The green belt boundary has been redrawn around the development site. In most cases there is an existing landscaped buffer or road that provides a defensible new green belt boundary. A significant level of well-landscaped open space should be retained, providing a landscaped open space buffer along the western side of the site where the impact on views is highest and there are clear constraints to development (notably the north-westernmost and south-westernmost fields, due to their topography and the potential impact of development on visual amenity in this location). Development will be concentrated in the easternmost portion of the site, where impacts on views and the surrounding area would be lowest. It is likely that higher densities could be accommodated here than in locations to the west. Developments should be designed to minimise potential harm to the integrity of remaining green belt areas and landscape character, as identified in the Black Country Green Belt Study and Black Country Landscape Sensitivity Assessment.

Nature Conservation and Net Biodiversity Gain Requirements

A87 The site sits on the fringe of the urban area, with links to wider greenspace and open countryside. The site is surrounded by hedgerows that are of high ecological value due to the species that they support. Both the internal and boundary hedgerows contain mature trees, which should be retained as part of the site's features. These current hedgerow lines are growing along pre-existing / old boundaries. The site as a whole assists in the movement and migration of species as well as providing important feeding areas for local and migratory wildlife populations. There is potential for bat roosting sites in the mature hedgerow trees. Bat and bird boxes could be installed on some of the mature trees to provide nesting and roosting opportunities. A mixed semi-natural woodland occurs in the form of a small wooded copse, situated in the west of the site. Opportunities for enhancement and planting around this part of the site should be explored in line with Policy ENV4 - Trees, Woodland and Hedgerows. A management plan for the long-term maintenance of the woodland would also be required.

A88 It is anticipated that net biodiversity gain requirements for the developments will be met through delivery of the green belt loss mitigation requirements set out above.

A89 Policy ENV3 - will apply to this site.

Historic Environment Requirements

A90 Located adjacent to this strategic allocation, on its south-eastern edge is the Grade II listed Summerhill Hotel (List Entry Number 1228678). The impact of any development proposals on the setting and significance of this designated heritage asset will be a material planning consideration. Applicants will therefore be required to support their proposals with a Statement of Heritage Significance (prepared in accordance with Historic England's latest guidance) illustrating that proposals have been formulated with a full appreciation of the requirements of Section 66(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and with the policies relating to designated heritage assets laid out in the NPPF and local plan.

A91 Within this allocation there is one site recorded on the Council's Historic Environment Record (HER), HER record 12113, which relates to a medieval book fitting. In view of this and in view of the fact that the allocation still retains the majority of its original field boundaries (as marked on the first edition OS) applicants will be required to support their proposals with a historic environment desk-based assessment, undertaken in accordance with guidance provided by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologist (CIfA).

Recreational Open Space Requirements

A92 Subject to satisfactory delivery of mitigation for the loss of green belt, it is considered that the local area will have good access to existing recreational open space, allotment, play and sports facilities that have the capacity to meet the varied needs of new residents, in line with adopted open space standards. Therefore, no new on-site open space will be required, beyond that necessary to protect existing nature conservation value and provide sufficient natural, sustainable drainage systems. However, it will be necessary to provide quality walking and cycle routes within the developments that provide easy, quick and safe access to nearby open spaces and the countryside.

Sustainable Drainage Requirements

A93 Naturalised sustainable drainage systems that are sufficient to retain greenfield runoff rates should be provided for the site, in accordance with Policy CC6. An allowance for the space necessary to accommodate these systems has been made when defining the indicative net developable area. This allowance may be adjusted when the master plan is prepared.

Local Wastewater Treatment Capacity

A94 This site is served by Roundhill WwTW and it is not anticipated that there are any issues with the site handling additional flow during the Plan period.

Design principles

A95 Due to the tree-lined periphery of the site and its topography, it is considered that development would be best located at the edge of the site, fronting directly onto Swindon Road and Lodge Lane. The chosen layout must be highly permeable and well connected, prioritising pedestrian and cycle users, maximising the feeling of enclosure and responding to human scales. Proposals should avoid the use of private drives and cul-de-sacs, as these hinder good on-foot / cycle connectivity. As such it is likely that proposals brought forward will differ to much of the existing morphology (cul-de-sac) in the surrounding area. As the site will create a new community / neighbourhood on green belt land, proposals must have distinguishable merit in their design and form. Only high-quality design that is bespoke, unique and specific to the site will be acceptable.

A96 Existing desire lines are well-used by local residents for leisure and walking to / from Summerhill School in the south. These should be retained and routes for school commuters diverted as little as possible.

 

A97 Land at Ketley Quarry, Kingswinford will be allocated for new residential growth and will form part of the North West Regeneration Core Area covering BCP Allocations DUH203 and DUH221. The site's gross area is 20.81ha of which 13.52 ha of the site is developable for 612 dwellings based on 40 - 45dph.

A98 The estimated phasing of delivery is:

• 2024 – 2029 50 homes
• 2030 - 2035 250 homes
• 2035 - 2039 312 homes

A99 There will be a requirement for the development of the site to deliver homes and infrastructure be of the highest quality design and functionality, and to accommodate the required infrastructure provision in appropriate locations. The key planning requirements for the Ketley Quarry Strategic Allocation are set out below. Other standard policy requirements, as set out in the BCP and Dudley Local Plan documents and SPDs, will also apply. A master plan will be prepared to guide the development of the strategic allocation. This will provide further detail on the requirements set out in this Policy and will provide a spatial framework for development.

A100 The Quarry and adjacent sites are in separate ownership and are situated in close proximity to strategic sites identified in Policy DSA1: South of Holbeache Lane / Wolverhampton Road and Policy DSA2: land at Swindon Road, Wall Heath. The cumulative impact of these sites (and other housing / employment allocations) on local infrastructure provision will need to be considered, in terms of:

• school place impacts;
• highways impacts;
• delivery of biodiversity net gain;
• delivery of recreational open space improvements

A101 Once the BCP has been adopted, allocations should be developed in accordance with the criteria identified in respect of each site and all other relevant general policy requirements, including any necessary developer contributions.

School Place Requirements

A102 It is currently anticipated that both primary and secondary school place requirements arising from housing developments in the north west of Dudley over the Plan period will be capable of being met through extensions to existing primary and secondary schools. Pedestrian and public transport improvements to increase accessibility to local primary and secondary schools may be required in accordance with Policy HOU2.

A103 Should it be determined that some form of primary school provision is required as the BCP progresses towards adoption, this may need to be accommodated on the site and land will need to be allocated to accommodate a two-form entry primary school (approximately 2.4ha).

Highways Requirements

A104 Highway infrastructure is necessary in order for any development to function effectively and to minimise impacts on surrounding road junctions. It is considered that there should be vehicular access, of Dudley Road with a possible secondary access of Ketley Road, by Ketley Farm. The number of access points required, and their precise location should be subject to further detailed transport assessment. A cycling and walking network which includes active travel routes around key sites should form a key part of the site layout providing connections to all nearby local amenities, including local primary schools and local centres. Details will need to be set out in the master plan.

Nature Conservation and Net Biodiversity Gain Requirements

A105 There is a statutory designation for features of geological significance (SSSI) at the north of the site and two non-statutory geological designations (SINC) within the site. The SSSI designation is a geological outcrop of the Etruria Formation, created during the Carboniferous Period (359 - 299 million years ago). The wider site is designated as a SLINC. The vast majority of the site is a disused quarry and is made up of bare ground and large mounds of quarry spoil. Parts of the quarry have become vegetated with early successional species and tall ruderal vegetation. The disused Tansy Green branch railway line runs to the east of the site, providing a further link to Fens Pools Nature Reserve to the south. Dawley Brook to the east of the site is designated as a SINC. The site also contains three distinct areas of woodland, with the belt to the east and southwest of the site acting as a boundary feature.

A106 Bat and bird surveys, including for barn owls, will need to be carried out in the abandoned farmhouse and surrounding buildings. Other surveys such as reptile and badger surveys may also be required.

A107 Policy ENV3 - Biodiversity Net Gain will apply to this site.

Historic Environment Requirements

A108 This allocation is the site of the former Ketley Colliery (HER 7963) recorded as being mostly abandoned by the production of the first edition OS in 1884. It also contains the site of Ketley Quarry (also recorded on the first edition OS), which is one of the 'Geo-sites' located within the Black Country Geopark, (see Policy ENV6)^[5].

A109 Located in the north-west corner of this allocation, adjacent to the road, is the site of a weighbridge and its associated Weights and Measures building (HER15424). The buildings first appeared on the Fourth Edition OS (1937-1948). Any proposed development should seek to incorporate these heritage assets into any future proposals for this part of the site along with suitable interpretation information.

A110 Located in the southern part of the allocation is the site of Stourbridge Extension Canal (HER 7385), built during the 1830s and opened in 1840. Proposals for the site should seek to include within it sympathetic ways of revealing the significance of this heritage asset.

Recreational Open Space Requirements

A111 It will be necessary to provide good-quality walking and cycle routes within the developments, which can provide easy, quick and safe access to nearby open spaces and the countryside.

Sustainable Drainage Requirements

A112 Naturalised sustainable drainage systems that are sufficient to retain greenfield runoff rates should be provided for the site, in accordance with Policy CC6. An allowance for the space necessary to accommodate these systems has been made when defining the indicative net developable area. This allowance may be adjusted when the master plan is prepared.

Local Wastewater Treatment Capacity

A113 This site is served by Roundhill WwTW and it is not anticipated that there are any issues with the site handling additional flow during the Plan period.

Design principles

A114 New development will have a density of no more than 40 - 45dph and will also retain a network of public open space across the site. Any proposed development should create a permeable layout by connecting the surrounding vehicle roads and pedestrian routes with a network of public open space and tree-lined streets. Layouts should incorporate 'back to back garden' housing and avoid the rear or sides of gardens facing the streets and public realm. Existing trees and on-site biodiversity value (according to the outcome of robust surveys) must be safeguarded and incorporated into the proposed layouts. These assets should form part of the publicly accessible open space and should not be located within any private plots, except in exceptional circumstance. Corner plots should be designed to address both aspects e.g. consider and propose a dual building frontage to minimise blank / dead frontages. All public open space should be overlooked by housing.

 

Local Green Space Designations

A115 Local Green Space designation is a way to provide special protection for green areas of particular importance to local communities. The Council has designated an area of green space for special protection, as outlined in the policy table below. The Local Green Space has been put forward by the local community, with a strong evidence base, due to its local importance. The area has been identified on the Dudley Proposals Map.
 

A116 The area shown on the Proposals Map is allocated as Corbett Meadow Local Green Space. In line with national policy the site will be protected from inappropriate development, unless there are very special circumstances that outweigh the harm to the site.

A117 The views of the local community will also need to be taken into account when considering any development proposals on the site.

A118 Designation of land as Local Green Space is set out in the NPPF, allowing communities to identify and protect green areas of particular importance to them. It has been demonstrated that Corbett Meadow meets the criteria set out in Paragraph 100 of the NPPF (2019). The site of the meadow was purchased by local philanthropist John Corbett in 1892 to provide a hospital and the gardens and public grounds were to be used for the purposes of a public park. The site supports a variety of wildlife and is made up of flower-rich lowland meadow pasture, many wooded areas of veteran age and natural ponds.

Nature Conservation Alterations and Designations

A119 Dudley Council will safeguard and enhance designated nature conservation sites, habitats and features through the development process and in accordance with the Black Country Plan, in particular Policy ENV1 and the Dudley Borough Development Strategy Policy S21.

A120 A number of designations or amendments have been made to Nature Conservation sites which have been adopted by the Council. Details of the sites are shown in Appendix A4. In addition, site and designation boundaries can be viewed on the online Policies Map for Dudley.

(39) B. Sandwell

Introduction

B.1 Sandwell is a metropolitan borough in the Black Country, made up of six towns: Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. With 327,378 residents, Sandwell has the third largest population in the West Midlands Combined Authority area and is the 34th largest local authority in Great Britain. The borough's population is predicted to grow faster than both that of the West Midlands and the national average.

B.2 Sandwell has many growing and productive businesses and a higher than average proportion of its businesses are small, but residents are not always able to take up opportunities related to those employment and economic activities. Local businesses will often need a highly skilled workforce to be able to grow to meet modern demands; that workforce needs training and support to help deliver and accelerate innovation. Sandwell also has a limited amount of the type of high quality land needed to enable businesses to expand and grow in the borough's industrial core.

B.3 Creating a clean, attractive and safe living environment in Sandwell is a key priority, as is developing a robust response to climate change in an area with a complex industrial heritage and its associated legacy of land, water and air pollution

B.4 Although Sandwell has many challenges, it also has a significant number of opportunities. The BCP and Sandwell's own Inclusive Economy Deal will be focusing on the challenges for people, place and business and the opportunities that are available to make a difference.

B.5 The aim is to deliver a healthier, more successful future for the people of Sandwell – working closely together with residents, businesses and other stakeholders.
 

(3) The Strategy

B.6 The 2030 Vision for Sandwell is:

'It's where we call home and where we're proud to belong - where we choose to bring up our families, where we feel safe and cared for, enjoying good health, rewarding work, feeling connected and valued in our neighbourhoods and communities, confident in the future, and benefiting fully from a revitalised West Midlands'.

B.7 The BCP forms an essential part of this strategy, supporting the re-energising, diversification and re-purposing of the borough, supporting the recovery and growth of our economy, and providing for a continuous supply of new homes to meet the needs of our communities.

B.8 The BCP will ensure that the borough's network of open spaces will be protected and enhanced to support its natural assets, and continue to provide opportunities to improve health and well-being whilst ensuring at the same time, that development is located where it can provide convenient access for all sections of the community to work, shopping, health, education, leisure, green space and other facilities.

B.9 This Plan supports the delivery of 9,158 new homes and 126,000 jobs to 2039, supporting the growth of the borough's population and a workforce of 108,000. To plan for this growth, the Council is prioritising locations that are both sustainable and deliverable in line with the Spatial Strategy set out in Policy CSP1.
 

Figure 17 - Sandwell Spatial Plan

 

(10) Table 21 - Sandwell Growth targets (net) 2020 - 2039

 

West Bromwich Strategic Centre

B.10 West Bromwich Strategic Centre, as designated on the Policies Map and shown on Figure 17 is the third largest centre in the Black Country and It is the focus for a wide range of civic, retail, cultural and leisure functions. The centre is organised around a strong linear high street form. The High Street runs north-west to south-east with a focus on high street retail activity along the pedestrianised Princess Parade / Duchess Parade section, which is enclosed by the West Bromwich Ringway. It is a highly accessible location by a range of public transport options including rail, metro and bus services.

B.11 This Plan supports the diversification, repurposing and rejuvenation of the Strategic Centre, being a focus for a well-balanced mix of commercial, business and service uses. Changing shopping patterns and challenges to the high street will be addressed through increased flexibility and facilitating the consolidation of the shopping core (particularly to reduce vacancy rates), complemented by surrounding office and leisure-led mixed uses, and supported by maximising residential provision in all locations (including the use of upper floors).

B.12 The future of the centre, as with most Strategic Centres across the Black Country, is dependent on ensuring less reliance on retail to generate footfall and to generate alternative uses (potentially mixed uses) that function both during the day and into the evening.

Figure 18 - West Bromwich Strategic Centre

B.13 The Strategic Centre benefits from an existing Area Action Plan (AAP) which was adopted in 2011. The AAP will be reviewed following the adoption of the BCP. Until the AAP review is completed, all AAP policies remain relevant for proposals within the BCP boundary of West Bromwich Strategic Centre.

B.14 Therefore, for the purposes of applying Policies CEN1- CEN6, within West Bromwich Strategic Centre the following AAP policies are relevant in defining in-centre boundaries:

• Retail – Primary Shopping Area (AAP Policies)
• Conservation Area - AAP boundary (and AAP Policy) WBP8
  15. The housing capacity for West Bromwich Strategic Centre set out in Table 21 is based on existing permissions and AAP allocations, but also includes an estimated uplift based on more recent evidence, including the Black Country Centres study and emerging development proposals, as detailed in the Black Country Urban Capacity Review Update 2021. This housing capacity figure will be further tested, in detail, through the AAP review, but provides a sound basis to understand the housing capacity of the City Centre for the purposes of this Plan.
       

(1) West Bromwich Masterplan and Interim Planning Statement (IPS)

B.16 Until the review of the AAP and to aid regeneration of the centre and stimulate a Covid -19 recovery, a masterplan and Interim Planning Statement has been commissioned with a final report due mid-summer 2021. It is hoped that the masterplan will act as a catalyst for on-going and new regeneration schemes for West Bromwich – unlocking further investment and opportunities to boost the town's future economic growth.

B.17 The masterplan will build on the Towns Investment Plan for West Bromwich, which has already been drawn up by the council in response to the Government's Towns Fund programme, with the council bidding for £25 million to help reinvigorate the town.

B.18 The priorities for West Bromwich are to reinvigorate the town centre; unlock land to aid regeneration; support good quality jobs and stimulate Covid-19 recovery by:

• Repurposing vacant premises and sites in the strategic centre to provide community, education, healthcare provision, with additional residential use being a major contributor in attracting investment and promoting vitality of the centre.
• Seeking office development in sustainable locations within the centre.
• Creating a Civil and Mechanical Engineering Centre, delivering a range of apprenticeships and training including in groundworks, street works, steel fixing and scaffolding.
• Creating a Digital Den to establish affordable digital services for deprived communities; create pathways to opportunities to education and employment via accredited online training courses; provide careers guidance; and provide children with online educational resources so opportunities for learning are always accessible.
• Regenerating the Town Hall Quarter to establish a fully restored cultural and entertainment offer in the town centre.
• Transforming the town centre further through site assembly and development paving the way for new markets, education facilities and high-quality housing.
• Providing a new green corridor to link the centre to Dartmouth Park and Sandwell Valley.
• Creating cycling and walking routes across the town centre and to Sandwell Valley.
  19. The Interim Planning Statement will take the land use changes proposed by the masterplan forward to be endorsed by the Council.
  20. Following adoption of the BCP, the production of a revised Tier 2 Sandwell Plan will follow approximately six months afterwards, to ensure conformity.
  21. Following adoption of the Sandwell Plan, a formal Area Action Plan (AAP) for West Bromwich Strategic Centre will be produced, incorporating and updating key issues from the masterplan.
       

Sandwell Central Core Growth Area

B.22 The Sandwell Central Core Regeneration Area covers the main employment areas of the Borough, from Smethwick in the south east to Wednesbury in the north, taking in areas of Oldbury, Tipton and West Bromwich.

B.23 The area provides regeneration and renewal opportunities for new employment and residential development, which will be well-connected by public transport, as well as by the new Metro extension. Through residential allocations within the Growth Area there is capacity for 2,032 new dwellings. The area contains 947 hectares of employment land, which will be safeguarded through the protection and improvement of existing employment areas as set out in Policies EMP1, EMP2 and EMP3.

B.24 The area is well-connected by road and rail, with access to the national motorway network at Junctions 1 and 2 of the M5, and sections of the West Midlands Key Route Network, linking Sandwell with the rest of the Black Country and the wider West Midlands area. There are three rail lines running through the area; the Stour Valley Line (Birmingham to Wolverhampton), which forms part of the West Coast Main Line; the Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester line; and the Birmingham to Rugeley line. The area is also well-served by the West Midlands Metro with the existing Birmingham to Wolverhampton line and will benefit from the opening of the Wednesbury to Brierley extension.

B.25 Further investment in the highway network to support public transport and active travel is planned through the Key Route Network Corridor Investments Plans.
 

(1) Delivering the Strategy

B.26 This strategy will be delivered by:

• An early review of the adopted West Bromwich Area Action Plan (AAP) to refresh detailed site allocations within the Strategic Centre boundary in a comprehensive manner.
• The allocation of sites and implementation of policies in this Plan across the administrative area to accommodate housing and employment development.
• The saving of policies contained in the Sandwell SADDPD and West Bromwich AAP unless specifically replaced by Policies in the Black Country Plan as listed in Appendix B1.

27. Tables 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29 provide details of all development allocations and waste and minerals allocations made through the BCP within Sandwell (outside the West Bromwich Strategic Centre boundary).
28. Several of the allocations replace existing ones identified in adopted local plan documents, which previously formed part of the Sandwell Policies Map. Where this is the case, the previous allocation reference and the Local Plan document concerned are listed. Table 29 and Appendix B1 provides details of other local plan designations in Sandwell that have also been replaced or amended through the BCP. Such changes have only been made where this is necessary to deliver development allocations. All detailed allocation and designation boundaries can be viewed on the online Sandwell Policies Map.
     

Other

Environment and climate change

B.29 In line with the Council's Climate Change Strategy, a local heat network for West Bromwich is at detailed project development stage. This is part of the strategy towards achieving carbon neutrality for Sandwell Council buildings and operations by 2030 and for the borough as a whole by 2041.

B.30 Other heat networks are being explored, albeit these are currently at an initial stage. General 'greening' of the centre, via landscaping and other environmental enhancements is proposed, with improved links to Dartmouth Park and Sandwell Valley.

B.31 As part of the above, the central area will have more meet-and-greet areas to foster non-transactional interactions and drive footfall, thus bolstering a reduced but viable amount of retail and other centre uses.
 

Sandwell Valley

B.32 The Council will investigate opportunities for utilising the Sandwell Valley for leisure and tourism through the Cultural Strategy, whilst respecting its green belt status and the other nature conservation allocations it contains.
 

 

Table 23 - Sandwell Gypsy and Traveller Site Allocations

B.34 Under Policy EMP2, 219 hectares of employment land will be allocated as High-Quality Employment Land and will be safeguarded for manufacturing and logistics uses within Use Classes E(g)(ii), E(g)(iii)), B2 and B8.

B.35 Within Sandwell, High-Quality Employment land is concentrated in three main areas. Two of these are around the M5 - adjacent to Junction one in West Bromwich and adjacent to Junction two in Oldbury; both of these fall within Growth Corridor 12. The third area where there is a concentration of High Quality Employment Land is along the Black Country New Road, from Tipton to Wednesbury, which is in Growth Corridor Eight.

B.36 Under Policy EMP3, a further 890 hectares of employment land will be allocated as Local Quality Employment Land and will be safeguarded for manufacturing and logistics uses within Use Classes E(g)(ii), E(g)(iii)), B2 and B8. The main concentrations of Local Quality Employment are concentrated in Growth Corridors Nine, Oldbury to Tipton and Corridor 12, Oldbury, West Bromwich and Smethwick.

B.37 In addition, there is a further 18 hectares of employment land that is not being allocated; Policy EMP4 will apply to these sites.

B.38 In addition to the existing occupied employment it is proposed to allocate 23 hectares of vacant land as employment development sites. The proposed employment development sites are set out in Table 24.
 

Strategic Waste Sites

B.39 The existing strategic sites, identified on the Waste Diagram and listed in Table 25, are the significant waste management facilities operating in the Black Country. They have been identified through a detailed analysis of all known licenced and exempt facilities in each authority area. Under Policy W2, the four Local Authorities will safeguard all existing strategic and other waste management facilities from inappropriate development, in order to maintain existing levels of waste management capacity and meet Strategic Objective 13.
 

Table 25 - Sandwell Strategic Waste Sites

Sources: Environment Agency: Waste Data Interrogator (WDI) 2007 – 2018, Operational Incinerators, 2018, Public Register, Remaining Landfill Capacity in England as at end of 2018 Version 2.

 

Preferred Areas for New Waste Facilities

B.40 A number of employment areas have been identified in the Black Country Waste Study (BCWS) as being most suited to the development of new waste recovery, treatment and transfer infrastructure. In Sandwell, they are the sites contained in table 26. Under Policy W3, these areas are considered least likely to give rise to land use conflicts, and in several cases, there is already co-location of existing waste facilities to which new sites would contribute.
 

Table 26 - Sandwell Preferred Areas for new Waste Facilities

¹ As indicated in the Black Country Waste Study, Wood 2020
 

Minerals

B.41 The Black Country Minerals Study (BCMS, Tables 12.9 and 12.10) lists all known existing mineral sites and mineral infrastructure sites in the Black Country. Existing mineral sites within the Black Country include permitted mineral extraction sites, stockpiles, brick and tile works, and a pot clay factory.

B.42 Existing Black Country mineral infrastructure sites include secondary / recycled aggregates production, rail-linked aggregates depots, coating plants, ready-mix (RMX) concrete batching plants, manufacture of concrete products, and dry silo mortar (DSM) plants.

B.43 Under Policy MIN2 (Minerals Safeguarding Areas, MSAs), the BCA will safeguard all existing mineral sites and mineral infrastructure sites from inappropriate development – this being necessary in order to retain existing capacity, and thereby helping to make best use of and conserve the Black Country's finite mineral resources and meet Strategic Objective 13.

B.44 The locations of these Black Country mineral sites and mineral infrastructure sites are identified on the Minerals Key Diagram, and those sites located within Sandwell Borough are listed in the following tables:
 

Table 27 - Sandwell Key Mineral Infrastructure

 

Table 28 - Sandwell changes to existing Local Plan designations (Waste and Minerals)

(76) C. Walsall

Introduction

C.1 Walsall has an estimated population of 285,500 people^[7], comprised of approximately: -

• 21.7% children between 0-15,
• 60.7% working-aged between 16-64, and
• 17.6% 65 years and over.
  2. The population has seen a 7.8% increase over the past decade, up from 264,800 in 2009. Most of this increase has been in people aged under 16 and over 65; both groups have seen approximately 12% increases. This is in contrast to a working age population (16-64 years) increase of around 5%. Walsall is expected to see continued and consistent population growth of 7% to an estimated 304,400 people by 2030 and by a further 13% to an estimated 320,400 by 2040.
  3. Walsall's economy has an annual output of £4.77 billion and provides around 120,000 jobs. The local economy supports a steadily increasing resident population of over a quarter of a million people, with three in every five people being of working age. However, only two-thirds of working-age residents are in employment, and for those in work, earnings are below the national average while testing economic conditions prevail.^[8]

Walsall town centre is at the heart of the borough, while there are second-tier district centres in Bloxwich, Brownhills, Willenhall, Darlaston and Aldridge. These district centres are supported by smaller centres and settlements across the borough.

C.4 Walsall can be defined by two main character areas based on its geology, the mineral resources from which drove Walsall's industrial past. The west and central part is a legacy of the Industrial Revolution, a largely urban area rich in coal and limestone and an area that has experienced changing economic prosperity, significant areas of ground contamination and abandoned infrastructure. The east remains largely rural, with open landscapes, agricultural land and woodland, but also with areas of 20^th century housing and industry, including active quarries and brickworks.

C.5 Much of the urban area has been regenerated in recent decades, with new homes and industry provided on formerly derelict land. The development opportunities that remain present significant challenges because of the cost of addressing contamination and ground instability. Some former industrial land is also now of value for nature conservation and as open space. The total supply of land that might be available in the urban area to meet future need for homes and jobs is therefore limited. In order to ensure that sufficient new homes and employment remain available, the opportunity to review both open space within the urban area and also land in the Green Belt was taken during the preparation of the BCP.

C.6 Strategic opportunities for employment are focused on previously-developed sites that have complex ground mitigation requirements, and which already provide the sustainable transport infrastructure required for such uses, together with a small number of greenfield sites on the edge of the urban area that have good highway access, and which relate to existing employment areas. The opportunities for large housing sites are focussed on the edge of existing urban settlements, to ensure sustainable linked neighbourhoods are created.
 

(6) The Strategy

C.7 The vision for Walsall Council is set out in the Corporate Plan. This states that

" We are led by the communities we serve who help shape the services we provide, and we help those communities to make a positive difference to their own lives through active civic engagement and co-operation [so that] Inequalities are reduced and all potential is maximised."^[9]

C.8 In the future, Walsall will be a more confident place, with renewed investment in key infrastructure and key centres, greater opportunities for work and leisure and an affordable, accessible housing stock.

C.9 The Corporate Plan sets out the Council's priorities, which include:

• Creating an environment where business invests and everyone who wants a job can access one.
• People live a good quality of life and feel that they belong.
• Children thrive emotionally, physically, mentally and feel they are achieving their potential.
• Housing meeting all peoples' needs, is affordable, safe and warm.

C.10 The BCP will help to deliver these priorities through:

• economic growth for all people, communities and business
• Adaptable and diversified urban centres that increasingly support a range of residential, leisure and community uses to support and enhance the retail function.
• housing to meet the needs of everyone in the community, to be concentrated in sustainable areas to ensure that their housing needs are met, that they can integrate with the existing urban area to ensure a strong sense of belonging and cohesion and so that they can contribute to and benefit from existing services and public space;
• new large edge-of-urban residential sites in sustainable locations with good accessibility, supported by access to health and education services, which will include the necessary environmental protection and enhancement measures to address environmental challenges now and into the future;
• strategic and other waste management facilities and identify suitable new facilities to ensure continued economic growth and to ensure waste management is sufficient to protect the needs of communities.
   

(2) Delivering the Strategy

C.11 Most development is carried out by the private sector through the delivery of planning permissions. The strategy and the BCP will guide investment decisions through the determination of planning applications and the delivery of financial and other support by the local authority and other public bodies where necessary. As well as the policies and site allocations in the BCP, the strategy is supported by the policies that will be saved in the existing development plan documents:

• Walsall Town Centre Area Action Plan (2019)
• Walsall Site Allocations Document (SAD) (2019) most of the allocations in the SAD are 'carried forward' into the BCP and are listed in this chapter)
• "saved" policies of the Walsall Unitary Development Plan (2005)
   

(424) Development Allocations

C.12 The sites listed below and shown on the Policies Map are allocated for the stated uses and are subject to the listed policies. The sites are of three types; land for housing development, land for travellers and land for employment development (industry and warehousing). A small number of these allocations are of strategic significance to the delivery of the Plan because of their size, either individually or in combination with adjoining allocations. Each strategic allocation has a specific Policy applying to it, providing details of the particular constraints and requirements affecting development, which should be read alongside the information for the allocation provided in Table 31.

C.13 Most existing allocations in Walsall's Site Allocation Document are 'carried forward' into the Plan, except where sites have been developed or in a small number of cases the allocated use is no longer considered to be appropriate. These carried-forward allocations are listed separately for clarity in the tables below but are also subject to the listed policy(ies) in the Plan. In some cases, the precise site boundaries and site reference numbers have changed from those in the SAD. In the adopted version of the Plan, the 'newly allocated' and 'carried forward' sites will be listed together and will have equal status.

C.14 The policies of the BCP will safeguard various existing land uses and designations. Occupied employment land will be safeguarded by policies EMP2, EMP3 and EMP4. Sites that are safeguarded by these policies are not listed individually below but are shown on the Policies Map. In the case of sites in Walsall, occupied employment land is currently safeguarded by the SAD and most of this land will be carried forward to the BCP, although the categories of some sites (local or strategic quality) will change.

C.15 The Plan will not allocate sites in Walsall Strategic Centre and this area will remain subject to the Town Centre Area Action Plan. However, some of the targets, in particular for housing, office and retail uses, are based on provision to be made in the Strategic Centre. Details are set out in the chapters for these topics.

C.16 The sites listed in this appendix can be viewed in detail on the online Policies Map.
 

Figure 19 - Walsall Spatial Plan

Figure 20 - Walsall strategic centre and AAP boundary

 

General Spatial Strategy

C.17 Policy CSP1 describes the development strategy for the Black Country as a whole, with growth and regeneration focussed into the Strategic Centres and Core Regeneration Areas as outlined in policy CSP2. Outside these locations, policy CSP3 states that the quality of the Existing Neighbourhood Areas will be protected and enhanced, and a limited number of Neighbourhood Growth Areas in highly sustainable locations on the edge of the Urban Areas will be delivered. These areas in Walsall are described below.
 

(1) Walsall Strategic Centre

C.18 Walsall Strategic Centre is the administrative, commercial and cultural heart of the borough. It is the focus for a wide range of civic, retail, cultural and leisure functions, including being home to the Town Hall and Civic Centre, County and Magistrates Courts, Walsall College, Waterfront, Crown Wharf and the New Art Gallery. The location is highly accessible by public transport, through the provision of increasingly well-integrated rail and bus services. It lies at the centre of the Walsall to Wolverhampton Core Growth Area.

C.19 In the context of this strategy, and the evidence and opportunities outlined above, the priority for Walsall Town Centre for 2039 is to become a diversified, repurposed and rejuvenated strategic centre, providing a focus for a well-balanced mix of commercial, business, service and community uses spanning the daytime and nigh-time economy. Changing shopping patterns and challenges to the high street will be addressed through increased flexibility, facilitating the consolidation of the shopping core and opening space up to new uses, flexible models of operation and reducing vacancies., This flexibility in the shopping core will be complemented by surrounding office and leisure-led mixed uses, and supported by maximising residential provision in all locations (including the use of upper floors) and with it the services, community functions and educational amenity and accessibility that residents need. The character and quality of the town centre's built and natural environment will be improved to make the town centre a sustainable, healthy and attractive place to shop, live, work and visit.

C.20 The existing strategy for the strategic centre compromises the Unitary Development Plan (2005) and Area Action Plan (AAP) (2019). The UDP, while largely superseded by subsequent Development Plan Documents (including the Black Country Core Strategy and the Walsall Site Allocations Document), still contains saved policies that apply to the Strategic Centre of Walsall, namely Part 1 5.4 - 5.11, Part 2 5.12 - 5.24, Policy S1, Policy S2, Policy S3, Policy S4 and affects developments outside of centres through saved paragraphs and policies 5.41, Policy S6, Policy S7 as well as other general centres Policies S8 - S17. The AAP identifies several areas for investment and targeted use, including St Matthew's Quarter, Walsall Gigaport, Walsall Waterfront and Park Street Shopping Core, with an associated set of policies and proposals for each one. All AAP policies are relevant to proposals within the BCP boundary of Walsall Strategic Centre.
 

(1) District Centre

C.21 Walsall has five District Centres, Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Darlaston and Willenhall, as outlined in BCP Policy CEN1. The district centres serve more localised roles, providing substantial retail, leisure and services to a wide area. Their main role is to meet the needs of their districts for convenience goods, local services and community facilities, although they all have some importance for comparison shopping and in accommodating facilities of Borough-wide importance which cannot be located in Walsall Town Centre.

C.22 The priority for District Centres in 2039 will be to help drive forward the growth and regeneration of the borough outside of the strategic centre as a hub for their respective district areas, providing an enhanced level of town centres uses and services for residents in the district while strengthening connections to the town centre and the outlying local centres and residential areas on the urban fringe. District Centres will be more adaptable and flexible, accommodating housing provision where possible to improve vibrancy and the health of the centre, and offer the most sustainable areas well served by public transport links and a wide array of uses and services. Darlaston and Willenhall lie within the Walsall to Wolverhampton Core Growth Area: they will serve as centres for targeted investment in infrastructure delivery and employment land to help deliver strengthened links between the Black Country's strategic centres. Aldridge, Bloxwich and Brownhills will serve nearby Neighbourhood Growth Areas.
 

Local Centres

C.23 Walsall has 34 local centres as listed in BCP Policy CEN1. This network of vibrant Local Centres provides particularly for day-to-day convenience shopping and service needs both within the Core Regeneration Areas and Existing Neighbourhood Areas. Within these areas the retention, enhancement and further development of shops, services and other town centre uses is the key aim, with housing supported where it can complement and not prejudice the main town centre uses. Local centres are important to the vitality of Walsall. These centres generally meet day-today convenience goods needs and are especially useful to the elderly and less mobile. They also provide a focal point for the communities within Walsall and are an important part of the Borough's character.

C.24 The priority for Local Centres in 2039 is their protection from the loss of provision to the communities that rely on them, ensuring retention of a good level of access to local convenience and comparison retail, services, community facilities and other amenities. Improved connections through the Neighbourhood Growth Areas will ensure communities continue to be sustainable, with a range of services to support residents' local needs.

C.25 The existing strategy for Local Centres includes the SAD, which outlines policies and allocations for all areas in Walsall outside of the strategic centre and district centres, namely SLC1 and SLC2 which detail plans to strengthen Local Centres.
 

(25) Walsall to Wolverhampton Core Growth Area

C.26 The Walsall to Wolverhampton Core Regeneration Area is based around the road, rail and waterway corridor, with the Black Country Route linked to M6 Junction 10, the re-opened railway stations at Darlaston and Willenhall, and the Wyrley and Essington Canal which provides a pedestrian, cycle and leisure route from Birchills, through Walsall Strategic Centre, Phoenix 10 and Darlaston to Moxley. Much regeneration has already taken place in this area, and many new homes and jobs are expected to be delivered in the future at key locations such as Phoenix 10, Bentley Lane, Moxley Tip and in Willenhall Town Centre. The Core Regeneration Area will continue to be the focus of public sector investment to regenerate brownfield sites.
 

(1) Existing Neighbourhood Areas

C.27 Outside the strategic centre and growth areas, existing commitments for new homes and employment will continue to be delivered. The neighbourhood areas provide a network of sustainable residential areas, including some new housing sites of medium size, as well as clusters of employment areas, a network of green infrastructure and community facilities, with seamless links to the strategic centres, Core Regeneration Areas and the Green Belt. It is also expected that small scale housing developments will continue to come forward in the neighbourhood areas as windfalls.
 

(8) Neighbourhood Growth Areas

C.28 The existing growth network does not have the capacity to accommodate all our need for new homes and jobs. It is also important to safeguard the character of the existing neighbourhood areas, which are often low to medium density housing with good quality open space. A number of Neighbourhood Growth Areas are therefore proposed in sustainable locations close to the existing urban area that have good access to services. These areas will provide for additional homes and jobs to meet the needs of our residents. They will also provide for new or enhanced services where necessary, and in most cases, developers will be required to enhance biodiversity through the provision of new areas for wildlife and the restoration of existing ones.
 

(9) Green Belt

C.29 Policy CSP3 states that a strong Green Belt will continue to be retained to promote urban renaissance and to provide easy access to the countryside for urban residents where the landscape, nature conservation and agricultural land will be protected and enhanced. Walsall contains the bulk of Green Belt land in the Black Country, compromising over one third of the borough. Walsall's Green Belt is mainly agricultural.
 

(26) Growth Targets

Table 30 - Walsall growth targets for housing and employment land allocations

 

C.30 The figures in this table are the numbers that are expected to be capable of delivery during the period of the plan. Proposals that will result in the numbers of homes or employment land exceeding the figures will be supported where they are in accordance with the other policies of the development plan.
 

 

Table 33 - Walsall Sites Allocated for Permanent Gypsy and Traveller Sites by Black Country Plan

 

Table 34 - Walsall Sites allocated for permanent Gypsy and Traveller sites carried forward from Site Allocation Document

 

Table 36 - Walsall Sites Allocated for Employment by Black Country Plan (policy EMP1)