Land in Sandwell

Housing and the local plan

In the government’s Housing Delivery Test 2025, Sandwell built 34% of the homes it needed over three years: presumption in favour.

The council delivered under 75% of the homes it needed, so national policy's presumption in favour of sustainable development (the "tilted balance") applies to housing applications: permission should be granted unless the harm would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, or protective policies such as Green Belt, National Landscapes or flood risk give a clear reason to refuse.

Its adopted local plan is the Sandwell Site Allocations and Delivery Development Plan Document, adopted December 2012 (13 years ago; plans are meant to be reviewed at least every five years).

A new plan, the Sandwell Local Plan 2024-2041, is at examination.

From MHCLG’s Housing Delivery Test and the Planning Data platform’s local plan records, which some councils haven’t kept up to date. Whether the tilted balance applies to a scheme also depends on the council’s five-year land supply and the site itself: get planning advice.

Planning constraints

Of the 2,557 outlines of an acre or more, 123 (5%) are mostly in Green Belt. 151 (6%) are partly in flood zone 3, the highest risk.

From the government’s Planning Data platform. Check any site with Planning check.

Farmland quality

0% of the graded farmland outlines of an acre or more are grade 1 or 2, the best and most versatile land.

• Grade 35
• Grade 46
• Non-agricultural81
• Urban2,465

Natural England’s provisional grades at the centre of each outline. A broad-scale map, so a field survey is needed for any one site.

Electricity network

1,173 outlines of an acre or more are within 1 km of a primary or grid substation.

The best 2 km square for a data centre scores 100 out of 100, and 16 squares score 70 or more. Data centre site search →