Dudley Council paid out more than half-a-million pounds for a plan that will be junked as soon as it is adopted. The authority's local plan, which will map out where house building and other development should take place until 2041, was on the agenda at the council's cabinet meeting on June 11.
Councillors voted to recommend the plan should be adopted, however changes in the number of homes the government expects Dudley to build means it is already out of date. Reform UK councillor Sat Sherwani asked council chiefs what preparing the current plan had cost.
Dudley Council leader, Cllr Patrick Harley, told the meeting the plan was prepared to meet the council's legal obligation to have an up to date local plan. Cllr Harley added: "Costing, including evidence preparation, consultation and an independent examination totalled approximately £608,365 over three financial years. These are standard components of plan making and consistent with the approach taken by local authorities nationally."
Following a public inquiry, a number of modifications were recommended by a planning inspector before the plan could be declared 'sound' and fit for adoption. Cllr Harley added: "The requirement of main modifications following examination reflects the normal operation of an independent planning process ensuring the plan is legally compliant."
Cabinet members voted to start work on the new plan at an estimated cost of £544,000 over the next two financial years. The council has already received £108,000 from the government's Local Plan Implementation Fund and has £61,000 left over from £70,000 received in 2025 for green belt and landscape assessment.
Cllr Harley said: "Estimated costs are being carefully managed with a focus on efficiency, reuse of existing evidence and use of available funding. The council will continue to ensure resources are managed prudently and plan making is delivered as efficiently as possible."
