Publication of the Sandwell Local Plan (Regulation 19)

The Sandwell Local Plan has been published in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. Sandwell Council is inviting comments on its soundness and legal compliance from Monday 23 September until 5pm on Monday 4 November 2024

You can view and comment on a digital version of the Sandwell Local Plan and view the interactive Policies Map on our external consultation websites.

Please use the tabs at the top of this page to view and download the supporting evidence, and to read the Frequently Asked Question responses including a summary on what 'soundness' means and what the legal requirements for the Local Plan are.

View and download a PDF version of the Sandwell Local Plan and other consultation documents.

Register for email updates on the Sandwell Local Plan 

Draft Sandwell Local Plan Consultation (Regulation 18)

Sandwell Council held a Regulation 18 public consultation on the Draft Sandwell Local Plan in November - December 2023. The consultation period closed on 18 December 2023. Any comments submitted after this date have not been registered. The responses to the consultation have informed the preparation of the Publication Version of the Local Plan.

The Draft Plan identifies where new employment and housing development will be located and where investment for new infrastructure, such as transport, schools and green space will be made during the period to 2041.

You can view a digital version of the Draft Sandwell Local Plan on our external consultation website under 'historic documents' or download a PDF of the draft version.

Issues and Options Consultation

The public consultation on the Sandwell Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation took place between 6 February and 20 March 2023. The consultation is now closed.

View the Sandwell Local Plan Issues and Options consultation documents

Call for Sites

A Call for Sites exercise took place at the same time as the Issues and Options Consultation. The exercise invited landowners and developers to submit details of land within Sandwell that they would like to promote for development. The site submissions have been assessed for suitability for development within the Site Assessment Report which forms part of the evidence base for the Draft Sandwell Local Plan.

Sites submitted through the Call for Sites exercise can be found on the Sandwell Local Plan Call for Sites Map here.

Please contact us at any time if you would like to promote any land within Sandwell for development. 

Plan Making Process

There are a number of different stages involved in the preparation of a Local Plan, with the key stages outlined below.

STAGE   TIMEFRAME
Evidence Gathering The council conducts a range of detailed studies and considers everything a Local Plan needs, like how many new homes and jobs are needed and what supporting infrastructure is required. Ongoing
Issues & Options
  • Public consultation on identifying relevant issues and potential options to meet different development needs
  • Call for Sites
  • Initial SA report

February to

March

2023

Draft Plan
  • Public consultation on the Council’s proposed draft plan which includes detailed policies and allocations
  • Draft SA Report

November to

December

2023

STAGE WE ARE AT NOW
STAGE   TIMEFRAME

Publication Plan

  • Sets out the final Local Plan for submission to the Secretary of State (SoS)/Government 
  • Public consultation on legal compliance and ‘soundness’ 
  • Final draft SA Report
September 2024

Submission Plan &

Examination

  • Local Plan submitted to Government (Planning Inspectorate) with all the comments received during the Publication Plan consultation
  • Independent Examination carried out in public by a Planning Inspector
  • Final SA Report

Late 2024 -

early 2025

Adoption
  • Council formally adopts Local Plan
  • SA Adoption Statement

Late 2025 -

early 2026

How do I contact Planning Policy?

To speak to a Planning Officer, please email Sandwell_LocalPlan@sandwell.gov.uk

Or call 0121 569 4054

Or write to Planning Policy, Sandwell Council House, Freeth Street, Oldbury, B69 3DE.

Can I view this page in a different language?

You can translate any webpage on the Council's website into 60 different languages including Punjabi, Bengali বাঙ্গালীPolish (Polski) and Urdu (اردو). Please visit the translation webpage for further details.