A REVIEW into the number of houses which should be built across the Black Country and how to plan for the number of extra jobs needed over the next 20 years is set to get underway.

The Black Country Core Strategy, which also looks at where new homes and businesses should be located with an ever-growing population, was launched six years ago and covers the period up to 2026.

However, the four Black Country councils – Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton – want to launch a public consultation on a review of the document to take it up to 2036.

If agreed at council meetings this month, the consultation is expected to start in July and last for 10 weeks.

Councillor Ian Kettle, Dudley Council’s cabinet member for regeneration, said: “As the historic capital of the Black Country, Dudley will play an important role in the economic future of our region.

“The population will continue to grow in the borough over the next 20 years, and with that will come a need for more homes and more jobs.

“This document will lay out where those homes should go and also where new employment land should be sited. It’s important people tell us what they think and we would urge people to get in touch.”

The information from the consultation will be collated and used to produce a proposed review document, which will again go out to consultation next summer.

Alan Lunt, strategic director for place at Dudley Council and lead officer for the review, said: “The Black Country Core Strategy is an overarching planning and regeneration document for our region.

“The current strategy was adopted as the country emerged from a global recession and the Black Country was recovering from a period of economic and population decline.

“This document now needs to be reviewed. It is expected there will be both population and economic growth over the next 20 years and that brings a need for new development sites to accommodate this.”