MORE than 150 people have taken part in a consultation to shape the Dudley borough’s blueprint for future development, the council has confirmed.

Residents were given the opportunity to have their say in a consultation on the  Dudley Local Plan which sets out how the authority will look to meet housing and employment needs in the borough up to 2041.

The local authority, which has pledged to protect the green belt and build on brownfield land wherever possible, is now working towards submitting the plan and its supporting documentation to the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, councillors were told at a full council meeting on Monday December 2.

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the council, said: “I would like to thank the many people who have taken part in this second consultation to have their say, we also received hundreds of submissions in our first consultation at the end of last year.

“We firmly retain our belief that the housing and employment needs of this borough can be met without having to build on green belt land, which we know to be treasured by so many people from across the borough."

He added: “We are now looking forward to reviewing responses to this consultation and we hope to submit the plan to government soon.”