£1 million pledge to tackle eyesore sites across Dudley
£1 million has been set aside by council chiefs to bring eyesore and derelict plots of land across Dudley back into use.
Dudley Council has pledged to use compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) as a last resort where landowners refuse or are unable to bring forward the development of the sites themselves.
A number of schemes are already progressing.
Planning applications have been submitted for council-led schemes to build homes on land in Colley Gate and at Enville Street, Stourbridge.
The local authority is also working with investors to push forward housing schemes on Malt Mill Lane, Halesowen, and at Grazebrook Park, Brierley Hill.
Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said: "We are a listening authority and we regularly get complaints from residents about eyesore sites near to where they live or work.
"We have identified around 20 sites across the borough that are derelict and need sorting out.
"We have set aside a substantial amount of cash, and have powers at our disposal to make that happen.
"Our first port of call will be to contact the landowners if we can and to ask them to sort it out themselves.
"If they cannot do that, or they are unwilling to do that, then we have the option of a CPO where we would take over the land.
"As we have already shown with Enville Street and Colley Gate, we can then push through positive developments to bring these sites back into use."
