Video: See current state of proposed Dudley development site left empty for years

It shows the site which once housed the 'eyesore' Cavendish House just off Duncan Edwards Way the Dudley bypass.

Traffic moves freely past the massive site, which will form the proposed Potersfield Development and the centre of a 'new era' for Dudley Town Centre including a refurbished transport interchange, Midland Metro tram stop and improved pedestrian links as well as commercial space for new businesses.

The site also sits within land bounded by St Joseph Street, Claughton Road North and Hall Street. The Dudley Interchange and the proposed Metro Stop will both lie alongside the development.

Developers Avenbury originally proposed a major retail development for the site, including a large supermarket, ice-rink multi-storey car park and cinema.

But, council planning chiefs insisted housing needed to be part of any new development and it was finally dropped in June 2021.

A new, detailed development brief for the three-hectare site was published last month but the site is still, as it stands, completely undeveloped.

The council says the focus is now on the delivery of new, high quality housing, new commercial space and business opportunities and will include improved highway, pedestrian and cycle links, the introduction of new green corridors and street furniture and a focus on the town’s heritage.

A spokesman said: "The development is set to be majority residential, with new, quality homes linking to existing communities through improved public realm and green corridors for walking and cycling.

"There will also be a focus on commercial use, particularly in relation to the new interchange and metro stops which will improve connectivity across Dudley for residents and the experience for visitors to the borough.

"The brief provides guidance to developers on suitable land uses, design and layout, access, and transportation as well as detailed local and national planning guidance ensuring that planning applications can be processed as swiftly and effectively as possible."

The brief is based on feedback from an eight-week consultation exercise carried out in July-September 2023 among members of public, residents, businesses and stakeholders in which an approval rating of more than 70-per-cent was recorded.