Sandwell

For the article relating to the local authority, see Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. For the techno collective, see Sandwell District.

Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands county in England. The borough is named after the Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of the West Midlands conurbation. According to Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, the borough comprises the six amalgamated towns of Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury, and West Bromwich,^[3] although these places consist of numerous smaller settlements and localities.

Borough of Sandwell
Metropolitan borough
West Bromwich, the largest town in Sandwell
Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Unity and Progress
Sandwell shown within the West Midlands and England
Coordinates: 52°30′19″N 2°1′2″W / 52.50528°N 2.01722°W / 52.50528; -2.01722Coordinates: 52°30′19″N 2°1′2″W / 52.50528°N 2.01722°W / 52.50528; -2.01722
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	West Midlands
Metropolitan county	West Midlands
Historic County	Staffordshire and Worcestershire
Status	Metropolitan borough
Incorporated	1 April 1974
Admin HQ	Oldbury
Government
• Type	Metropolitan district council
• Body	Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
• Leadership	Leader & Cabinet (Labour)
• Mayor	Cllr. Barbara Price^[1]
• MPs	John Spellar (L) Shaun Bailey (C) Nicola Richards (C) James Morris (C)
Area
• Total	33 sq mi (86 km^2)
Population  (2021)
• Total	341,832 (Ranked 27th)
• Density	9,720/sq mi (3,752/km^2)
• Ethnicity	57.2% White 25.8% Asian 8.7% Black 4.3% Mixed 4.0% Other ^[2]
Time zone	UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode	B, DY, WS
Area code(s)	0121, 01384
ISO 3166 code	GB-SAW
ONS code	00CS (ONS) E08000028 (GSS)
OS grid reference	SO9954890217
NUTS 3	UKG37
Website	www.sandwell.gov.uk

Sandwell's Strategic Town Centre is designated as West Bromwich, the largest town in the borough, while Sandwell Council House (the headquarters of the local authority) is situated in Oldbury. In 2019 Sandwell was ranked 12th most deprived of England's 317 boroughs.^[4]

Bordering Sandwell is the City of Birmingham to the east, the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley to the south and west, the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall to the north, and the City of Wolverhampton to the north-west. Spanning the borough are the parliamentary constituencies of West Bromwich West, West Bromwich East, Warley, and part of Halesowen and Rowley Regis, which crosses into the Dudley borough.

At the 2011 census, the borough had a population of 309,000 and an area of 86 square kilometres (33 sq mi).^[5]

History and culture

 

Street nameplate on Rutland Road in Smethwick in April 2007, showing painted out "County Borough" lettering.

The Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell was formed on 1 April 1974 as an amalgamation of the county boroughs of Warley (ceremonially within Worcestershire) and West Bromwich (ceremonially within Staffordshire), under the Local Government Act 1972. Warley had been formed in 1966 by a merger of the county borough of Smethwick with the municipal boroughs of Rowley Regis and Oldbury;^[6] at the same time, West Bromwich had absorbed the boroughs of Tipton and Wednesbury.^[7]

For its first 12 years of existence, Sandwell had a two-tier system of local government; Sandwell Council shared power with the West Midlands County Council. In 1986 the county council was abolished, and Sandwell effectively became a unitary authority. The borough is divided into 24 Wards and is represented by 72 ward councillors on the borough council.

The borough was named after Sandwell Priory, the ruins of which are located in Sandwell Valley. Gaining widespread acceptance for the identity of Sandwell and unifying the distinct communities within the borough has been a protracted affair.^[8] The local council has considered changing its name over confusion outside the West Midlands as to the whereabouts of the borough. A survey of borough residents in June 2002 found that 65 per cent of respondents favoured retaining the name.^[9]

Landmarks and attractions in Sandwell include Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery, Bishop Asbury Cottage, West Bromwich Manor House, Oak House, West Bromwich, and Sandwell Valley Country Park. It is also the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C.

Sandwell used to be a popular hotspot for car cruising. In 2015 a High Court order was introduced to ban car cruising in the area. An extension has been secured to run until at least 2021.^[10]

Demographics

Ethnic Group	2021^[11]
	Number	%
White: Total	195,624	57.30%
White: British	177,929	52.10%
White: Irish	1,591	0.5%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller	699	0.2%
White: Other	15,405	4.5%
Asian or Asian British: Total	88,024	25.79%
Asian or Asian British: Indian	44,378	13%
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani	22,148	6.5%
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi	11,074	3.2%
Asian or Asian British: Chinese	1,204	0.4%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian	9,220	2.7%
Black or Black British: Total	29,779	8.7%
Black or Black British: African	12,668	3.7%
Black or Black British: Caribbean	13,103	3.8%
Black or Black British: Other Black	4,008	1.2%
Mixed or British Mixed: Total	14,680	4.3%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean	8,030	2.3%
Mixed: White and Black African	928	0.3%
Mixed: White and Asian	3,274	1.0%
Mixed: Other Mixed	2,448	0.7%
Other: Total	13,725	4.0%
Other: Arab	2,016	0.6%
Other: Any other ethnic group	11,709	3.4%
Ethnic minority: Total	146,208	42.79%
Total	341,832	100%

Religion 2021

Religion in Sandwell (2021)^[12]

  Christianity (39.9%)

  Not religious (26.1%)

  Islam (13.4%)

  No Answer (10%)

  Hinduism (2.8%)

  Judaism (0%)

  Sikhism (11.5%)

  Buddhism (.3%)

  Any Other religions (0.7%)

Religion^[11]	%
Any Other Religion	0.7%
Budhist	0.3%
Christian	39.9%
Hindu	2.8%
Jew	0%
Muslim	13.4%
No Religion	26.1%
Not Answer	10%
Sikh	11.5%

Politics

See also: Sandwell local elections

Since the council election in 2021, the political composition of the council has been as follows:^[13]

Party		Councillors
	Labour Party	60
	Conservative Party	10
	Independents	2

From the borough's creation in 1974 until 2010, all Members of Parliament (MPs) within its boundaries were Labour. However, in the 2010 general election, Conservative party candidate James Morris was elected to the Halesowen and Rowley Regis seat which incorporates the Sandwell communities of Rowley Regis, Blackheath and Cradley Heath, and the neighbouring area of Halesowen which is situated within Dudley's borders. This was the very first time any part of Sandwell had elected a Conservative MP – or indeed an MP from any party other than Labour.^[14] In the December 2019 general election, however, Conservative candidates Nicola Richards and Shaun Bailey were elected to represent West Bromwich East and West Bromwich West respectively. This was the first time since the borough's creation that West Bromwich has returned any Conservative MPs to Parliament, and the first time that a constituency fully within the boundaries of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council has been represented by a Tory MP. The election of both Richards and Bailey has been marked as a significant milestone in the political history of the borough and marked the end to decades of control by Labour MPs.^{[citation needed]}

Wards

The Sandwell Borough is divided into 24 electoral wards, with each one represented by 3 councillors on the borough council:^[13]

Ward name	Area	Population (2011 census)	Population density (people per hectare)	Ref.
Abbey	211 hectares (0.81 sq mi)	11,752	55.6	^[15]
Blackheath	260 hectares (1.0 sq mi)	12,292	47.3	^[16]
Bristnall	231 hectares (0.89 sq mi)	12,151	52.5	^[17]
Charlemont with Grove Vale	522 hectares (2.02 sq mi)	11,964	22.9	^[18]
Cradley Heath and Old Hill	403 hectares (1.56 sq mi)	13,365	33.6	^[19]
Friar Park	299 hectares (1.15 sq mi)	12,625	42.3	^[20]
Great Barr with Yew Tree	346 hectares (1.34 sq mi)	12,597	36.4	^[21]
Great Bridge	325 hectares (1.25 sq mi)	12,962	39.9	^[22]
Greets Green and Lyng	412 hectares (1.59 sq mi)	11,769	28.6	^[23]
Hateley Heath	309 hectares (1.19 sq mi)	14,227	46.1	^[24]
Langley	290 hectares (1.1 sq mi)	12,969	44.8	^[25]
Newton	276 hectares (1.07 sq mi)	11,558	41.8	^[26]
Oldbury	621 hectares (2.40 sq mi)	13,606	21.9	^[27]
Old Warley	267 hectares (1.03 sq mi)	11,915	44.6	^[28]
Princes End	278 hectares (1.07 sq mi)	12,981	46.7	^[29]
Rowley	407 hectares (1.57 sq mi)	11,784	29.0	^[30]
Smethwick	222 hectares (0.86 sq mi)	14,146	63.6	^[31]
Soho and Victoria	321 hectares (1.24 sq mi)	15,042	46.9	^[32]
St. Pauls	437 hectares (1.69 sq mi)	14,226	32.6	^[33]
Tipton Green	341 hectares (1.32 sq mi)	12,834	37.6	^[34]
Tividale	291 hectares (1.12 sq mi)	12,616	43.4	^[35]
Wednesbury North	352 hectares (1.36 sq mi)	12,682	36.0	^[36]
Wednesbury South	485 hectares (1.87 sq mi)	12,510	25.8	^[37]
West Bromwich Central	652 hectares (2.52 sq mi)	13,290	20.4	^[38]

 

Sandwell College in West Bromwich

Education

See also: List of schools in Sandwell

Sandwell is home to nearly 100 primary schools, 25 secondary schools, 4 special schools and 1 college.

The sole further education college in the borough, Sandwell College was opened in September 1986 following the merger of Warley College and West Bromwich College.^[39] It was originally based in the old Warley College buildings on Pound Road, Oldbury, and the West Bromwich College buildings on West Bromwich High Street, as well as a building in Smethwick town centre, but moved into a new single site campus in West Bromwich town centre in September 2012.^[39] In 2004, a debt-ridden Sandwell College was subject to a police investigation.^[40]

Localities

See also: List of areas in Sandwell

The six towns that comprise Sandwell and localities within each include:

• • Oldbury
    • Brandhall
    • Langley Green
    • Oakham
    • Rood End
  • Rowley Regis
    • Blackheath
    • Cradley Heath
    • Old Hill
    • Tividale
  • Smethwick
    • Albion Estate
    • Black Patch & Soho
    • Bearwood
    • Cape Hill
    • Londonderry
    • North Smethwick
    • Uplands
    • West Smethwick
  • Tipton
    • Dudley Port
    • Great Bridge
    • Horseley Heath
    • Ocker Hill
    • Princes End
    • Summer Hill
• West Bromwich
  • • Charlemont and Grove Vale
    • Great Barr (although some areas are part of Birmingham and Walsall)
    • Guns Village
    • Hamstead
    • Hill Top
    • Newton
    • Stone Cross
    • Yew Tree
    • Greets Green
    • Hateley Heath
  • Wednesbury
    • Friar Park

Local places of interest

• The Public, West Bromwich
• Sandwell Aquatics Centre
• Sandwell Priory
• Sandwell Valley
• Sandwell Valley Country Park
• RSPB Sandwell Valley
• Sheepwash Urban Park
• The Hawthorns
• Sandwell General Hospital
• Sandwell College^[41]
• Holly Lodge High School
• Warley Woods

Twin towns and cities

Sandwell is twinned with:^[42]

•   Le Blanc Mesnil, France
•   Amritsar, India
•   Zalau, Romania

See also

• Wednesbury Central railway station
• Wednesbury bus station
• Wednesbury Town railway station
• Healthcare in West Midlands

References

1. "The Mayor's Office". Councillors, Committees, and Meetings. Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
2. "Sandwell Demographics | Age, Ethnicity, Religion, Wellbeing". Varbes. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
3. "Where is Sandwell?". Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
4. "Deprivation - Sandwell in a West Midlands Context". Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
5. . Sandwell Trends. Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
6. "Warley CB through time". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
7. "West Bromwich MB/CB through time". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
8. Chitham, Edward (2006). Rowley Regis : a history. Chichester, West Sussex, England: Phillimore. pp. 123–124. ISBN 1860774180.
9. Sandwell View Point, issue no.10
10. "Car cruising | Sandwell Council".
11. "Home - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
12. Cite error: The named reference ks2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
13. "Councillors – Sandwell Council". Sandwell MBC. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
14. "Historic Tory win in Halesowen and Rowley Regis". Halesowen News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
15. "Abbey (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
16. "Blackheath (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
17. "Bristnall (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
18. "Charlemont with Grove Vale (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
19. "Cradley Heath and Old Hill (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
20. "Friar Park (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
21. "Great Barr with Yew Tree (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
22. "Great Bridge (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
23. "Greets Green and Lyng (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
24. "Hateley Heath (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
25. "Langley (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
26. "Newton (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
27. "Oldbury (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
28. "Old Warley (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
29. "Princes End (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
30. "Rowley (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
31. "Smethwick (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
32. "Soho and Victoria (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
33. "St Pauls (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
34. "Tipton Green (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
35. "Tividale (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
36. "Wednesbury North (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
37. "Wednesbury South (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
38. "West Bromwich Central (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
39. "Sandwell College guide". The Telegraph. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
40. Fraud row college to axe 100 jobs
41. "Home". sandwell.ac.uk.
42. "Twin town". Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell.

• Sandwell MBC
• Research Sandwell
• Sandwell Trends – a Local Intelligence System for Sandwell
• Sandwell Lions Club