Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

Introduction

In the heart of the Black Country, Dudley Borough is raising its game.  As one of the largest local authorities in the country, Dudley CouncilÕs mission is to make Dudley a high quality place to live, work and spend leisure time.

Building on the visionary platform of the Black Country Study, Dudley Council is working with its partners to achieve the massive regeneration of the Black Country.  Our Dudley Planning and Development Service has a vital role to play and is raising its game.  It operates within the multi-disciplinary Directorate of the Urban Environment, and an integrated team approach is being successfully deployed to deliver the new spatial planning agenda.  We operate as planning ambassadors who engage with all members of the local community to deliver real quality generation in Dudley Borough. 

Our service comprises four inter-linked teams for planning policy, development control, building control and historic environment.  Dudley Council has invested significantly in its two planning teams over the last two years.  The service had a particularly successful year in 2005/2006 with a growing reputation as one of the fastest improving planning authorities.  However, there is no reason for complacency and with such a fascinating planning agenda there is always the desire to continue to raise our game and to attract top quality planners who want to join a winning team.

Recent achievements and initiatives include:-

• Helen Brookes-Martin, who manages our Development Control Service, won the prestigious Young Planner of the year Award in February 2006;
• Our positive contribution towards the Black Country Study and City Region initiatives and resolving the Brierley Hill/Merry Hill planning issue;
• The successful adoption of our Unitary Development Plan and a smooth and seamless transition to the new Local Development Framework;
•  A major upturn in our development control performance which has been rewarded by a further expansion of the service;
• Significant and continuing investment in e-planning;
• A revitalisation of Dudley Town Centre, including  a Townscape Heritage Initiative scheme which could generate over £7m of investment in Dudley  Town Centre and multi-million pound projects at Castle Hill;
• In Brierley Hill/Merry Hill, Dudley Council has played a key role in developing the Brierley Hill Regeneration partnership.  This public, private  and community organisation is looking to channel about £1 billion of   investment into the area over the next 10 years;
• The service is building new linkages via the new Dudley Local Strategic Partnership and via the new Dudley Developers Forum.

All in all, we are raising our game.
Are you ready to join our winning team?
If so, please contact us to see if there are current planning vacancies. 

Employment policies              

With 14,000 employees, Dudley Council is one of the largest employers in the area and is committed to equality and diversity, both as an employer and as a provider of services and has a robust equality and diversity policy.

Benefits include access to the Local Government Pension Scheme and a relocation package, payment of professional fees and an appropriate car user allowance.