The overarching aim of Historic Environment Policies is to protect and conserve the locally distinctive characteristics of the Borough’s existing townscapes and landscapes whilst also ensuring that new development respects and/or enhances the existing character of distinctive localities

The Black Country Core Strategy (Policy ENV2) sets out the Council’s commitment to protect the historic character and local distinctiveness of the Borough’s townscapes and landscapes. 

Historic Environment Supplementary Planning Document

The Council has produced a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the Historic Environment, which was Adopted on the 13th September 2006.

The document was based on a Borough-wide Townscape and Landscape Character Study, and provides guidance to assist applicants in complying with the requirements of historic environment policies set out in the Development Plan Documents and to provide guidance on how the authority expects the historic environment to be taken into account in the development control process.

The guidance set out within the Historic Environment SPD is a material consideration in planning decisions. The document seeks to assist developers and others to understand and appreciate Local Distinctiveness by providing a detailed framework and context that sets out broad definitions of historic character for different areas of the Borough and maps them. A range of different general types of historic character that may be encountered as components of townscape and landscape across the Borough are also examined and listed.

Advice and Guidance

We will be pleased to give advice on what impact development proposals might have on the local distinctiveness of particular areas and to enter into pre-application discussions to assist in achieving new development that is appropriate to its locality.