Gateway 1 – Self Assessment

Dudley Council started preparing a new Local Plan for the Dudley borough on 30th October 2026, called the Dudley Borough Local Plan (DBLP).

Government policy indicates we should adopt the new plan within 30 months of the above date. This is to help ensure we have an up-to-date local plan that responds to the needs of the area and our communities.
This page explains what we did to get ready to meet the 30-month timeframe. It also contains links to further information and updates.

More information on our Local Plan is available on our website.

The DBLP Timetable sets out the key stages of the plan-making process, in line with Government regulation. It demonstrates how we plan to work towards adopting the Local Plan within the Government’s 30-month timeframe.

The timetable is ordered around 5 types of activity.

• Formal Stage(s): which show milestones required by Government regulations.
• Consultations: Crucial stages during which businesses, landowners, infrastructure providers and other stakeholders are invited to directly help shape the plan.
• Evidence gathering and drafting Local Plan: Involves specialist teams working to prepare the documents that will comprise the Local Plan and its evidence base.
• Submission and examination: The period during which the Local Plan will be scrutinised and assessed by the Planning Inspectorate
• Adoption: This brings the new Local Plan into effect following the decision of Full Council
  
  
• View the published timetable

Whilst we are on track to adopt the new plan in 2029, we are aware that some parts of the programme may need to be adjusted. For example, if new evidence is required or national policy changes, a review may be needed. Therefore, we will continue to monitor our progress against this timetable and keep the published timetable webpage updated.

Preparing a Local Plan is a complex process. It involves many people across the council and from other organisations. Thinking early about how the work is planned, managed and signed off helps us monitor our progress and keep the work on track. It also helps us anticipate and manage any risks to us adopting the plan within 30 months.

In line with Government guidance, officers have developed a Project Initiation Document to be used by Dudley Council. This is a document that outlines the objectives of the Local Plan, in addition to how work on the Local Plan will be managed, governed, monitored, and approved. Day-to-day project management and preparation of the Local Plan is carried out by the Planning Policy team, who are responsible for engaging technical specialists and keeping key governance stakeholders updated.

Formal governance arrangements have been put in place surrounding the Local Plan. Delegated authority has been given to the Director of Development and Regulation, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Development and Regulation, to prepare and consult upon the Local Plan. This delegation provides a clear decision-making framework, supporting timely progression through the plan-making process. To ensure appropriate political governance is maintained, councillors will be briefed throughout the plan-making process. Additionally, to ensure oversight of the process, a Local Plan Project Board will be established to act as a steering committee throughout. 

By adopting a project-management approach guided by formalised documentation and establishing a clear governance structure of delegation, the Council has laid the groundwork for effective and efficient delivery of the Local Plan.

Public consultation is essential for the local plan to represent the needs of our communities. It must be easy for people to have their say in a way that works for them, so they can influence the way the area develops. By planning this early, we can ensure people are aware in advance and can get involved from the start.

We have undertaken a scoping consultation to get people’s views on what the plan could contain and how we propose to consult on the plan at key stages.

During the scoping consultation we set out how we proposed to consult and engage on the preparation of the plan. We asked several questions about the right approach, key principles that should be incorporated into the strategy and what methods should be used and asked people to tell us what they thought.

Respondents generally supported the proposed consultation approach but highlighted the need for greater accessibility and flexibility. Key themes included retaining email submission options alongside online consultation, avoiding a digital-only approach, and ensuring engagement opportunities are accessible to all sections of the community. Respondents also supported wider publicity, more local engagement events, earlier stakeholder involvement in the plan-making process, and ongoing engagement with statutory consultees and technical bodies where relevant.

Informed by the scoping consultation responses, and the proposed approach outlined in the Scoping Report, we have now prepared an engagement strategy for the next phase of the plan-making process. This is set out below.

Our Engagement Strategy

The Council is committed to effective and inclusive engagement as part of the preparation of the local plan.  This includes engagement with communities, businesses and stakeholders throughout the plan-making process.

This approach is informed by ‘Engaging the public when preparing a local plan’, this sets out the importance of early engagement, transparency and using a wide range of methods to reach audiences.

Our engagement strategy will be guided by the following principles:

• Positive Engagement – engagement will begin at the earliest stage of plan preparation and continue throughout the process, ensuring that local commu-nities and stakeholders can help shape the plan from the outset.
• Clear and Transparent - the purpose and scope of each stage of consulta-tion will be clearly set out and responses reported back.
• Inclusive and Accessible – engagement should be open to all using a range of methods and formats.

Who will we engage with?

In line with national guidance and relevant regulations the council will engage with the following stakeholders:

• Local communities
• Businesses and employers operating in the borough
• Landowners, developers and agents
• Infrastructure and service providers, including utilities, transport and health bodies
• Neighbouring and relevant local authorities including the West Midlands Com-bined Authority
• Specific and Statutory Consultation Bodies

The council will only directly contact stakeholders where there is a statutory requirement or where stakeholders have requested to be on our Local Plan consultation database.

Methods of Engagement

The council will use a digital first approach to engagement, alongside traditional methods throughout the local plan review consultation exercises to maximise participation and ensure inclusivity. 

Digital Engagement

Local plan documents will primarily be available online via the Council’s Planning Policy webpage. We will encourage the submission of consultation responses online via the consultation portal. It is acknowledged that some people will require support with this and methods to facilitate digital access are available via local libraries across the borough, along with adult learning courses to help people get online, and Digi Dudley for the over 65s. It is recognised that some stakeholders may wish to submit their responses via email or post, which we will facilitate, however the preference will be for online responses.

Other methods of digital engagement may include the use of:

• Social Media and digital communications
• E-bulletins/newsletters
• Interactive mapping and visual tools where appropriate
• Interactive online engagement

Other Engagement Methods

It is recognised that at times other methods of engagement will be required to support the local plan consultation. These may include:

• Public exhibitions and drop-in events
• Workshops and stakeholder meetings

Inclusive Engagement

To ensure that consultation remains accessible to all the council will provide information in clear and accessible formats.  This may include:

• Easy Read Formats
• Large Print
• Audio Formats
• Videos
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Summary Documents

Scoping includes considering how well the existing plan is working and gathering baseline information about Dudley borough. This helps to identify our future needs and priorities for the borough. Starting this early means we can begin preparing the new plan with a clear vision, making it quicker and easier to consult on the plan and make decisions about it.

We are currently working to understand the impact of changes made by Government to national legislation and guidance. So far, we have identified that our policy framework will require updating to align with the new National Planning Policy Framework (2026). Additionally, as Dudley is a constitute member of the West Midlands Combined Authority, we will need to ensure our Local Plan content is in general conformity with the emerging West Midlands Spatial Development Strategy, as it progresses.

We are also focussed on understanding Dudley’s development needs for the Local Plan’s duration. To begin with, we have reviewed our existing evidence base and have identified further evidence requirements. After this initial high-level review, evidence relating to housing and employment land, gypsy and traveller provision, green belt, landscape, centres, viability, delivery and infrastructure will require updating. The content of the plan will be directly informed by the findings of all evidence gathered and the policy framework will work to address local challenges. We also recognise that the spatial elements of the plan, relating to site allocations will need to reflect development needs, as well as environmental sensitivities.  This will require significant site assessment work.

Our 8-week scoping consultation was carried out between 16 July 2026 and 10 September 2026.

Having now completed our scoping consultation, our next steps are:

• Undertake a detailed review of our scoping consultation responses
• To continue developing our evidence base
• Begin drafting a vision for the borough, identify the core objectives of the DBLP and site assessment process
  
  
• Information on the Dudley Borough Local Plan – Scoping Stage
• Scoping Consultation Document

We’re legally required to identify, describe and evaluate likely significant effects on the environment of:

• implementing the local plan
• reasonable alternatives, taking into account the plan’s objectives and scope

This process will consider how community, national and international environmental protection objectives and any other environmental challenges are considered in the plan. It will help us to predict significant environmental effects and develop ways of preventing, reducing and offsetting these.

It is important we start this work early and are transparent about how we’re doing the assessment when engaging stakeholders and communities.

As part of the Local Plan Scoping Consultation, we also made available and consulted on and the SEA Scoping Report. As part of this work, we have:

• Started to collate relevant baseline information
• Map relevant plans and programmes

Representations on the SEA Scoping Report were received by the statutory consultation bodies.  These will be used to inform the next stage of SEA work.

SEA work will progress and be available at the next relevant consultation stages of the plan, the next stage being Content and Evidence (Regulation 23).

A ‘Call for Sites’ started at the same time as the scoping consultation. This invites landowners, developers and other interested parties to submit land for a range of uses including, housing, employment, Gypsy and Travellers sites, retail and Local Green Space.

The Call for Sites allows us to understand what land is available for different types of uses.

• Further information on the ‘Call for Sites’

The ‘Call for Sites’ was extended to 30 October, to help us identify as many sites as possible for assessment in the new plan process.

Extending this was intended to strengthen the evidence base and identify as wide a range of potential sites as possible for assessment. Submission of a site does not imply that it will be allocated or granted planning permission, it means it will be considered as part of the site assessment process.

The new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published in August 2026 (during the scoping consultation on the DBLP).  

Under Policy PM2 of the NPPF, national policy now states that a Local Plan should set “out a spatial strategy, policies for the minimum amount of development to be provided, land allocations and broad locations for growth… for a period of no less than 10 years from the point of adoption of the plan. Local plans can cover a longer time period where this would, for example, help support the delivery of longer-term infrastructure or strategic development.”

Previous versions of the NPPF have stated that Local Plan periods should be a minimum of 15 years, which is why originally it was proposed for the DBLP to plan to 2045.

On the basis that the minimum requirement has reduced from 15 to 10 years, it is proposed that the plan period for the DBLP is amended to 2041.  This would allow for a 12-year plan period, from proposed adoption in 2029.

Other changes in national policy will be reflected in the DBLP, as it progresses.

There will be lots of opportunities to help shape the Local Plan as the plan progresses. We encourage anyone who is interested to register their interest here: Planning Policy Consultations.

To comply with data protection requirements, anyone wishing to receive updates will need to opt in to the new database, even if they were registered on a previous Local Plan consultation database. Statutory consultees will be included automatically where required by legislation.

You can follow progress, consultation opportunities and key updates on the Dudley Council’s New Local Plan webpage.

You can also follow the Council's social media channels:

• Dudley borough on Facebook
• @dudleymbc on Instagram