Black Country's green belt could be developed to make up for homes shortfall

A consultation document for the Black Country Core Strategy has said sites have already been earmarked for around 60,000 homes, but bosses have said that there is a shortfall of 22,000.

As part of a new review there will be a ‘call for sites’ where people can put forward areas of land they feel may be suitable for development – and this could include green belt, according to Dudley Council leader Patrick Harley.

He has encouraged people to put forward any suggestions on where in the region the homes could be built.

He said: “This document will shape the Black Country for a generation and it’s absolutely critical that people have their say on it.

“Making the most of brownfield land is a high priority for us and one of Dudley Council’s main objectives in our work with the West Midlands Combined Authority.

“However, clearly at some point in the coming decades we are going to run out of these kind of sites as our population and our economy continues to grow.

“One issue that will come under discussion is building on green belt land.

“This is always something as a council we would see as very much a last resort.

“But something has to give, and there is no point burying our heads in the sand.

“We are clearly going to have to make some tough decisions on where these 22,000 new homes should go.

“That’s why we are launching a consultation, along with the other three Black Country authorities, next month to enable people to have their say.

“It’s important people tell us what they think and we would urge people to get in touch,” Councillor Harley added.

People in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton have been urged to say where they think the homes should, or could, go.

A public consultation starts on July 3 and will run until September 10.

The Black Country Core Strategy outlines how many homes need to be built and how to plan for the number of extra jobs needed in a growing population.

It also looks at where new homes and businesses should be located.

An original document was launched six years ago and covers the period up to 2026.

The public consultation will be part of a

review of the document that aims to take it up to 2036.

Information taken from the consultation will be incorporated into a planned review document, which will then go out to consultation next summer.