Wolverhampton residents to air their views on final stage of local plan for future developments

The final stage of consultation on a new planning blueprint for Wolverhampton is poised to start this month.

The latest Wolverhampton Local Plan will provide a guide to future development in the city up to 2042. Titled the ‘Publication Plan’ consultation, it means people can have their say on the final version of the plan before it is submitted to the government.

Every council is required to prepare a local plan to guide regeneration, investment and planning application decisions for at least 15 years. It identifies environmental areas to protect and enhance, sites to allocate for new housing development and employment use, transport schemes and policies to guide design and secure infrastructure.

The local plan will be subject to Wolverhampton Council cabinet approval and the consultation will run from November 25 to January 9.

Full details on how residents, community groups and businesses can have their say on the ‘soundness and legal compliance’ of the plan will be provided via the council website, at the Civic Centre and main libraries from November 25. 

The ‘Publication Plan’ builds on work related undertaken during the Black County Plan process and has been informed by 119 responses to the Wolverhampton ‘Issues and Preferred Options’ consultation, which took place between February and April 2024 setting out proposed policies and development sites to be included in the plan.

Responses to the public consultation exercise will be considered and changes made before it is submitted to government in early 2025 for independent examination by a planning inspector.

 Cabinet member for city development Councillor Chris Burden said: “It is critical to have a local plan in place to provide certainty for our communities and support regeneration and investment in our city.

"We continue to promote a brownfield first approach and, while we await the outcome of the government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) review, we are pressing ahead with a Wolverhampton Local Plan that does not contain any green belt sites.

“Subject to cabinet approval, consultation on the final stage of the plan will start later this month and I’d urge people to give their views on what I believe is a solid plan that will enable the city to thrive.

“The Wolverhampton Local Plan will help facilitate a vibrant mixed use city centre, enable new housing and employment opportunities on brownfield sites across the city, support local centres and strengthen the local economy."

For more details visit website wolverhampton.gov.uk/localplan.