Support

Representation ID: 22440

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: First City Limited

1.0 Introduction & Preliminary Matters

1.1 The Black Country Plan (formerly known as the Black Country Core Strategy) is a plan
prepared by the four Black Country authorities (Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell, and
Wolverhampton) to identify and allocate for development sufficient land for housing
and employment needs for the next 15 years.
1.2 Government requires a review of all land use plans every five years. The current Core
Strategy was adopted in 2011. It is currently projected that the Black Country Plan will
be adopted during 2023 and will allocate sufficient land to meet housing needs for 15
years or until 2039.
1.3 During 2018, Government introduced a standard calculation for working out how many
new homes are required. Using this method, the Black Country had a need for 3,761
new homes each year or 71,459 homes in total over the Black Country period from
2020 – 2039.
1.4 In our view even allowing for the number of houses that can be accommodated on
brownfield land in Walsall and taking this number of the total number of houses
required there is still a gap which will require Walsall Council to allocate land in the
Green Belt.