S13 Role of Centres

S13 Role of Centres

The Council will seek to sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of town centres as shown on the Proposals Map in order to provide access to a wide range of shops, services and other activities for all sections of the community in locations accessible by a choice of travel modes.

The Council will promote Dudley as the strategic Town Centre in order to attract investment that will both improve the range of town centre facilities available to Borough residents and increase the diversity and number of employment opportunities, especially for those deprived and disadvantaged members of the community living in their vicinity.

Support for the Borough’s town centres in general as principal locations for employment, commerce, shopping and leisure activity within the Borough will be complemented by action to ensure the main centres of Dudley, Stourbridge and Halesowen, remain an important focus for a wide variety of shopping, leisure, community, cultural, housing and administrative activity.

Other District and Local Centres within the network will remain a focus for day to day shopping, social, leisure and community uses for their locality.

1.69 The Borough’s main town centres are the most accessible places for public transport. They help define the character of an area and provide a range of services, meeting many different needs. The maintenance of a network of centres is essential in the pursuit of a more sustainable Borough. The nature of the Borough’s centres has changed significantly over recent years, particularly in relation to their shopping functions. This change has happened largely due to decisions made outside the planning system. The UDP seeks to address these changes and a series of action based initiatives are included in Part II, which will reinforce the role of the Borough’s main centres.

1.70 Due to the scale of opportunities that exist in Dudley, Halesowen, and Stourbridge, Part II of the UDP includes specific Inset Plans to guide the future development of these town centres. Where appropriate, Supplementary Planning Guidance will also be prepared to assist in the implementation of the policies and proposals. The future role of Brierley Hill/Merry Hill will be decided by the Black Country Study and the subsequent review of Regional Planning Guidance for the West Midlands.

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