Major mixed-use application receives council backing

Proposals for a major mixed-use scheme intending to provide hundreds of homes and new leisure facilities in Dudley have been backed by the council.Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council’s cabinet has voted on whether to jointly promote a planning application with Avenbury (Dudley) Ltd towards the development of the Portersfield site, as well as provide £420,000 of funding towards the preparation of the submission.Avenbury is proposing a development which comprises 347 residential units for rent, 200 student units, up to 10,000 sq ft of associated retail and leisure space and a 38,000 sq ft ice rink centre.Avenbury submitted an outline planning application in April 2019 for a mixed-use development of the Portersfield site. The application was approved by the development control committee, subject to completion of a S106 agreement.The company requested that the council, as a major landholder of the development site, jointly promote a new planning application and that this application is pursued concurrently with officer’s due diligence of the overall proposal.The cabinet has now approved the proposals.