Walsall Borough Local Plan
Local planning authorities are required by the Government to update their Local Plans every five years. The current development plan for Walsall is now out of date. Having withdrawn from the now abandoned draft Black Country Local Plan, Walsall Council is preparing a new development plan, the Walsall Borough Local Plan (WBLP).
The site had originally been identified as a proposed allocation for residential development in the draft Black Country Local Plan, and has since been proposed draft allocation in the Regulation 19 version of the emerging WBLP as site reference HO3011 – West of Chester Road, North of Little Hardwick Road, Streetly.
Following consultation on the Regulation 19 version of the Local Plan closing on the 2 November 2026, the draft Plan will then be taken to independent examination by the Government's Planning Inspectorate (PINS) before progressing to formal adoption.
Increased housing targets for Walsall Borough
Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) announced by the Government in late 2024 significantly increased the number of homes needed to be delivered in Walsall Borough. These targets will be addressed through the delivery of new housing identified within the WBLP.
Green Belt
Through the evidence base prepared to support the emerging Local Plan, Walsall Borough Council has revised, in part, the Green Belt boundaries of the borough to meet local housing need. As part of this process, the site has been identified to be removed from the Green Belt and subsequently allocated for residential development.
Five-year housing land supply
The NPPF also requires that local authorities are able to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. This is the amount of land that the Council must identify to ensure there are sufficient deliverable sites for it to meet its housing target over a rolling five-year period. Walsall Council currently cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing land, so it is important that new housing is brought forward to meet demand.
Housing delivery early in the local plan period
Considering the significantly increased housing targets for the district and the site’s draft identification a preferred option for the delivery of new homes, Taylor Wimpey is preparing outline plans for the site to run alongside the ongoing process of preparing the Local Plan. This will help to ensure the delivery of homes at an early stage in the plan period, contributing towards the Council's required housing land as well as delivering community infrastructure including a potential healthcare or community building, allotments, and extensive landscaped public parkland.
An extract from the Regulation 19 Consultation Version of the draft Walsall Borough Local Plan shows the site as a proposed allocation for new homes (HO3011) - click to enlarge
The December 2024 NPPF significantly increased Walsall Borough’s housing targets from 906 to 1,294 new homes per year. These targets have been carried over in the latest version of the NPPF published in August 2026.
Local Plans are the key documents through which local planning authorities set out a vision and framework for the future development of the area, engaging with their communities in doing so. Local Plans address needs and opportunities in relation to housing, the local economy, community facilities and infrastructure. The Local Plan provides a degree of certainty for communities, businesses and investors, and a framework for guiding decisions on individual planning applications.
Local planning authorities, such as Walsall Council, have a statutory responsibility to maintain an up-to-date Local Plan, and national policy indicates that Local Plans should be regularly reviewed, with the expectation this is done at least every five years.
Walsall Council is preparing a new Local Plan known as the Walsall Borough Local Plan (WBLP) to guide development in the Borough up to 2042.
The site of the proposed development has been identified as a draft allocation for housing delivery as proposed allocation HO3011 – West of Chester Road, North of Little Hardwick Rote, in the emerging WBLP.
Following a review of the comments provided in response to the Regulation 19 consultation, the Council will then submit the Local Plan for independent examination to the Governments Planning Inspectorate (PINS). Following the Plan being found 'sound' the Plan will progress to adoption.