All you need to know about Dudley Council developments this week

Biggest Brownfield Development in Borough Receives Approval Dudley Council planners have granted outline permission for the borough's largest brownfield development: 650 new homes at the former Ketley Quarry site in Kingswinford. The approval followed negotiations to resolve road access issues, and the final scheme includes restrictions to prevent motorists from using the new development to avoid congestion. Full story here.

Taxpayers Foot £8,000 Bill for Rejected Parish Council Consultation Dudley taxpayers paid nearly £10,000 for a feasibility study and public consultation on creating a parish council in Cradley, an idea that was overwhelmingly rejected by residents. The survey, which cost £8,000, saw 82.6% of respondents vote against introducing the new layer of local government. Council leader Cllr Patrick Harley has since confirmed the matter is now closed. Full story here

Mental Health Assessment Waiting Times Exceed Eight Months Residents in Dudley are facing waiting times of over eight months, or up to 262 days, for a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) mental health assessment. Although overall waiting times have fallen, referrals have increased significantly, leaving 660 cases outstanding and putting the borough's non-completion rate above the regional average. To tackle the large backlog of DoLS assessments, Dudley Council has approved an extra £215,692 in funding for overtime and support staff. This money is intended to deliver 524 assessments and significantly cut the current list of outstanding cases. Full story here.