Wolverhampton consults on city development plans

City of Wolverhampton Council has launched a consultation into plans for the future development of the city. The council is seeking feedback on its local plan, which will guide regeneration, investment and planning application decisions for at least 15 years. The plan will also identify environmental areas to protect and enhance, sites to allocate for housing development and employment use, key transport schemes and policies to guide design and secure infrastructure. Wolverhampton’s “preferred option” promises a balanced amount of sustainable development, including allocating around 155 acres of industrial land and sites for 10,300 new homes by 2042. These will all be in the urban area, said the council, and would make best use of brownfield sites, vacant properties and poor-quality industrial land and would be built at high densities. The council said most of the sites allocated had already been granted planning permission or were allocated in other plans.  Council leader Stephen Simkins 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 have always promoted a brownfield-first approach and never had any intention to include green belt land in our local plan.” He added: “The Wolverhampton local plan will help facilitate a vibrant mixed-use city centre and enable new housing and employment opportunities on brownfield sites across the city, supporting local centres and strengthening the local economy. The consultation is open until 10 April.