Notice of Intention to Commence Plan Preparation
Sandwell Local Plan 2 (2026 - 2044) – Notice of Intention to Commence
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council gives notice of its intention to commence the preparation of a new Local Plan, in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 (Regulation 19), Part 4, Regulation 19.
Purpose of this notice
This notice is to inform residents, businesses, stakeholders and statutory consultees that the Council intends to begin preparing a new Local Plan for Sandwell.
Publishing this notice:
- Provides advance notification of plan-making activity
- Ensures communities understand when and how they can get involved
- Marks the start of the formal plan preparation process
Subject of this notice
This notice relates to the document titled: Sandwell Local Plan 2 (2026 - 2044) (SLP 2).
Publication date
This notice was published on the 30th June 2026
Plan area
The Local Plan will cover the entire administrative area of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.
The boundary for this administrative area is shown in the map below.
Start of plan preparation
The Council intends to formally commence preparation of the Sandwell Local Plan following a minimum four-month notification period.
The anticipated start date for the 30-month plan preparation process is: 30th October 2026.
This approach aligns with the new plan-making system, which includes a defined 30‑month preparation timeframe following commencement.
Plan-making timetable
A Local Plan timetable has been published alongside this notice. This sets out:
- Key stages in the plan-making process
- Opportunities for consultation and engagement
- Expected timescales for preparation and adoption
The timetable will be kept under review and updated where necessary.
Early engagement and consultation
As part of the early ‘notification and scoping’ stage, the Council will undertake consultation to gather views on:
- Key issues and priorities for Sandwell
- The vision and objectives for the Local Plan
- How future development should be planned sustainably
- Evidence required to support the plan
- How the Council should engage with communities
At this stage:
- No development sites or preferred options will be proposed
- Feedback will help shape future stages of the Local Plan
Viewing of documents
This notice and supporting documents are available:
- Online via the Council’s website (recommended)
- Paper copies are available on request
Supplementary Plan Preparation - Notice of Intention to Commence
Sandwell Design Code
The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026, Part 6, Regulation 68
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council hereby gives notice of its intention to commence preparation of a supplementary plan, which is to be referred to as the Sandwell Design Code.
The Code will cover the whole of the administrative area and will replace the council's existing Residential Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document.
The boundary for this administrative area is shown in the map below.
Purpose of this notice
The Design Code will establish a set of rules which all new development in the borough must adhere to through the planning process. It will help raise the quality of development across the borough as a whole and help ensure design proposals are directly informed by the character of distinct areas.
This notice formally shows intent to commence the statutory process but pre-production of the Design Code has already commenced.
The Sandwell Design Code timetable is available to be viewed here Timetable and Processes | Sandwell Local Plan 2 (2026 - 2044) | Sandwell Council
Contact us
Further information on the Sandwell Design Code can be found by a dedicated website for the Code: Design Code Homepage – Sandwell Design Code.
Email: Design_Code@sandwell.gov.uk
Telephone: 0121 569 4054
Viewing of documents
This notice and supporting documents are available:
- Online via the Council’s website (recommended)
- Paper copies are available on request
Post: Planning Policy, Sandwell MBC, Council House, Freeth Street, Oldbury, D69 3DE