The Black Country Core Strategy (BCCS)

The Black Country Core Strategy (BCCS) is a planning and regeneration plan for the whole of the Black Country. It is used to guide planning and development decisions.

The four Black Country councils (Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton) adopted this plan in 2011.

The BCCS sets out the vision, objectives and strategy for future development in the Black Country up to 2026 and beyond. It forms the basis of Walsall's Local Development Framework. It is used to guide planning and development decisions throughout the Black Country.

Issues covered by the core strategy

The core strategy covers a wide range of issues across the area including:

• the protection and improvement of the natural and historic environment
• where jobs should be
• the location and size of new shopping, leisure and cultural facilities
• the location and type of future housing developments
• how people can move around the Black Country
• how to address the needs of the Black Country’s diverse communities

Read the Black Country Core Strategy and appendices.

There is a dedicated website with further information and updates on the Black Country Core Strategy.

Unitary Development Plan Policy

The Core Strategy replaces certain policies in Walsall’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP) listed in Appendix 8 of the Core Strategy. The Core Strategy does not replace UDP policies on a “like for like” basis. Yet, for ease of use you can read a “marked” version of the UDP and see which policies this will affect.

Consistency with National Planning Policy

The Government published the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in 2012. This was after the four Black Country local planning authorities adopted the BCCS.

We checked whether the BCCS complied with the NPPF. This check showed that the BCCS conforms with national policy.

You can view the completed self-assessment and a note of the meeting with the planning inspector:

Public consultation on Draft Black Country Plan 2039

We are currently consulting on the Black Country Plan. This will replace the Black Country Core Strategy when it is adopted.

There was a public consultation on the Draft Black Country Plan 2039 (Regulation 18) from 16 August to 5pm 11 October 2021.

The consultation is now closed.

You can view

• all the details for the consultation
• Walsall-specific evidence documents for this stage of the Black Country Plan preparation
• Black Country Plan evidence base