Groundbreaking plans for an £80 million development in Dudley town centre bringing council buildings under one roof together with new apartments and shops are hanging in the balance, it emerged today.

The future of the ambitious scheme, first unveiled in 2006, is set to be decided at a crunch meeting tomorrow attended by BV Strategies, the company behind the proposals, and leading council officials.

The meeting is expected to look at whether the company’s in-depth studies have shown the project is viable against a number of key criteria, in particular affordability.

Dudley Council leader David Caunt is among those who will attend the meeting. He said: “We will be considering whether they have met the six key criteria to press ahead. This project has been on the drawing board for two years and we need to move it forward or bring a halt.”

Detailed plans for the three-acre site on land bounded by Priory Road, Priory Street, St James’s Road and Ednam Road include office accommodation for council staff, underground parking,100 apartments, and shops.