'Only the beginning of the journey' - Plans submitted by council for improvements to parts of Dudley borough
Dudley Council has formally submitted plans to government for up to £20 million of funding to improve parts of the borough.
Ten-year regeneration and four-year investment plans have been formally submitted on behalf of the Dudley Neighbourhood Board.
When approved, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will release up to £20 million of funding over ten years from April 2026.
The money will be used for improvements within the programme area, which stretches from Priory to Dudley Wood and incorporates Netherton and Dudley town centres.
Funding was originally announced in 2023 and reconfirmed earlier this year through MHCLG’s Plan For Neighbourhoods, which is now part of the government’s Pride in Place programme.
The plans submitted were shaped by extensive community engagement over the summer, which saw more than 2,000 people have their say on what the priorities for the money should be. The documents outline a community vision for the next decade and set out the priority areas for investment within the first four years up to March 2030.
Top priority themes identified included safety and security, regeneration and improving high streets and heritage. Over the first four years, up to £7m will be available from MHCLG to run the programme and deliver against the priorities and plans submitted.
The Dudley Neighbourhood Board is leading the programme and has representatives from community groups, politicians, the police, education, visitor attractions and businesses operating in the area.
Closely supported by Dudley Council, the board is chaired by Neil Thomas with Paul Crofts, chief executive at Dudley Canal and Caverns vice chair.
Mr Thomas said: “As a board we are really proud of the plans which have been submitted and the hard work which has gone into their development.
“The engagement responses have been vital to this process and our fantastic community researchers have helped us to hear from a more diverse range of residents than we might have otherwise.
“This is only the beginning of this journey. We are planning to continue the conversation with the community throughout the lifetime of the programme and are looking forward to MHCLG’s approval of our plans so that we can start delivering and residents can see the differences being made.”
Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said: “We were delighted with the response to the consultation on priorities for Plan for Neighbourhoods and those who took part made it really clear how they felt the money should be spent to improve the places where they live.
“We have used that feedback to draft the document which has now been submitted to the government for consideration.”
People can find out more about the programme at www.regeneratingdudley.org.uk/plan-for-neighbourhoods and also sign up for ebulletin updates.
To find more on the wider government programme people can visit www.gov.uk/government/collections/plan-for-neighbourhoods.
