6 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁Origin ally ▁a ▁municipal ▁bor ough , ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁county ▁bor ough ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁ ▁cent red ▁on ▁the ▁main ▁town ▁centre ▁of ▁D ud ley , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁sub ur bs ▁of ▁N eth erton ▁and ▁Wood side . ▁Although ▁surrounded ▁by ▁Staff ord shire , ▁the ▁bor ough ▁was ▁associated ▁with ▁Wor c esters hire ▁for ▁non - admin istr ative ▁purposes , ▁forming ▁an ▁exc lave ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁Staff ord shire ▁after ▁an ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁bor ough ▁boundaries . ▁Following ▁local ▁government ▁re organ ization ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁D ud ley ▁took ▁in ▁the ▁bor ough s ▁of ▁H ales ow en ▁and ▁St our bridge ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁present - day ▁Metropolitan ▁Bor ough ▁of ▁D ud ley , ▁in ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁West ▁Mid lands ▁county . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Origin ally ▁an ▁ancient ▁bor ough , ▁D ud ley ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁municipal ▁bor ough ▁since ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁it ▁was ▁granted ▁county ▁bor ough ▁status ▁under ▁the ▁Local ▁Government ▁Act ▁ 1 8 8 8 . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁sl um ▁conditions ▁of ▁many ▁houses ▁across ▁the ▁bor ough , ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁the ▁bor ough ▁council ▁had ▁decided ▁to ▁start ▁building ▁new ▁houses ▁to ▁let ▁to