A place to live
Once at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, Dudley borough is a fascinating patchwork of towns, villages and smaller communities home to 320,000 people. The four main townships are Brierley Hill, Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge.
Each has its own individual character, charm and wealth of heritage, from Stourbridge’s Glass Quarter to Dudley’s 12th century castle, from Halesowen’s historic Leasowes Park to Brierley Hill’s modern retail delights. The towns contribute their own different qualities to the borough making it a fascinating place.
Referenced in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Dudelei, the borough of Dudley is now proudly referred to as the ‘historic capital of the Black Country’ and is proud to be a product of its industrial past. The Black Country pioneered the urbanisation of the industrial revolution and products made here continue to shape the world today. Our local people are renowned for their strong work ethic supporting some 11,000 businesses in Dudley borough – the highest number of businesses across the Black Country.
We are a well-recognised functioning economic area, with an employment rate of 71.7%, again the highest rate in the Black Country. The diversity of our communities is reflected in the diversity of our business base, our strong trading links abroad and thus our commitment to develop the strengths of our BME economies and attract foreign investment.
Our borough’s cultural and economic richness is also equally matched by its diverse housing offer. We have the very best combination of suburban living and urban convenience with an affordable blend of traditional and award winning contemporary residential developments.
Dudley offers a wealth of affordable housing with average property price of £175,655 lower than the regional and national averages. There are a number of affordable new homes being built around the borough, helping to regenerate and revitalise it. Dudley also boasts some of the region’s most affluent and desirable housing in the region, with plenty to entice those looking to buy at the higher end of the market.
Dudley remains the safest Borough within the West Midlands Police Force area with the lowest crime rate per 1,000 population. This is achieved through strong partnership working and underpins the Borough Vision – Dudley “A Place of healthy, resilient and safe communities.”
A place to call #home
Dudley borough’s vision for 2030, Forging a Future For All, is a major initiative to boost transport links, create vibrant town centres and help businesses grow across Dudley borough.
#Home to seven aspirations:
- Home of rich heritage, inspiring a unique visitor destination
- Home to diverse towns and a world class retail offer
- Home to world leading transport innovation
- Home to hard graft, enterprise and innovation
- Home to the skilled workforce of tomorrow
- Home of warm welcomes and close-knit communities
- Home to places of inspiring natural beauty
The vision unifies key stakeholders across the borough and is driven forwards in partnership to create a joint identity for the area, bringing communities together whilst helping attract inward investment and putting the borough on the map.