Sandwell
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. Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council defines the borough as the six amalgamated towns of Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. Rowley Regis includes the towns of Blackheath and Cradley Heath.[2]
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.[3]
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).[4]
History and culture
The Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell was formed on 1 April 1974 as an
For its first 12 years of existence, Sandwell had a two-tier system of local government; Sandwell Council shared power with the
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.[7] 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.[8]
Landmarks and attractions in Sandwell include
Sandwell used to be a popular hotspot for
Politics
Since the council election in 2021, the political composition of the council has been as follows:[10]
Party | Councillors | |
Labour Party | 60 | |
Conservative Party
|
10 | |
Independents
|
2 |
From the borough's creation in 1974 until 2010, all
Wards
The Sandwell Borough is divided into 24
Ward name | Area | Population (2011 census) | Population density (people per hectare) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Abbey | 211 hectares (0.81 sq mi) | 11,752 | 55.6 | [12] |
Blackheath | 260 hectares (1.0 sq mi) | 12,292 | 47.3 | [13] |
Bristnall | 231 hectares (0.89 sq mi) | 12,151 | 52.5 | [14] |
Charlemont with Grove Vale
|
522 hectares (2.02 sq mi) | 11,964 | 22.9 | [15] |
Cradley Heath and Old Hill | 403 hectares (1.56 sq mi) | 13,365 | 33.6 | [16] |
Friar Park
|
299 hectares (1.15 sq mi) | 12,625 | 42.3 | [17] |
Great Barr with Yew Tree | 346 hectares (1.34 sq mi) | 12,597 | 36.4 | [18] |
Great Bridge | 325 hectares (1.25 sq mi) | 12,962 | 39.9 | [19] |
Greets Green and Lyng | 412 hectares (1.59 sq mi) | 11,769 | 28.6 | [20] |
Hateley Heath | 309 hectares (1.19 sq mi) | 14,227 | 46.1 | [21] |
Langley | 290 hectares (1.1 sq mi) | 12,969 | 44.8 | [22] |
Newton | 276 hectares (1.07 sq mi) | 11,558 | 41.8 | [23] |
Oldbury | 621 hectares (2.40 sq mi) | 13,606 | 21.9 | [24] |
Old Warley | 267 hectares (1.03 sq mi) | 11,915 | 44.6 | [25] |
Princes End | 278 hectares (1.07 sq mi) | 12,981 | 46.7 | [26] |
Rowley | 407 hectares (1.57 sq mi) | 11,784 | 29.0 | [27] |
Smethwick | 222 hectares (0.86 sq mi) | 14,146 | 63.6 | [28] |
Soho and Victoria | 321 hectares (1.24 sq mi) | 15,042 | 46.9 | [29] |
St. Pauls | 437 hectares (1.69 sq mi) | 14,226 | 32.6 | [30] |
Tipton Green | 341 hectares (1.32 sq mi) | 12,834 | 37.6 | [31] |
Tividale | 291 hectares (1.12 sq mi) | 12,616 | 43.4 | [32] |
Wednesbury North | 352 hectares (1.36 sq mi) | 12,682 | 36.0 | [33] |
Wednesbury South | 485 hectares (1.87 sq mi) | 12,510 | 25.8 | [34] |
West Bromwich Central | 652 hectares (2.52 sq mi) | 13,290 | 20.4 | [35] |
Education
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.[36] 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.[36] In 2004, a debt-ridden Sandwell College was subject to a police investigation.[37]
Notable people
Localities
The six towns that comprise Sandwell and localities within each include:
- Oldbury
- Rowley Regis
- 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[38]
- Holly Lodge High School
- Warley Woods
Twin towns and cities
Sandwell is twinned with:[39]
See also
- Wednesbury Central railway station
- Wednesbury bus station
- Wednesbury Town railway station
- Healthcare in West Midlands
References
- ^ Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "Where is Sandwell?". Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- ^ "Deprivation - Sandwell in a West Midlands Context". Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- ^ "Sandwell in Brief". Sandwell Trends. Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- ^ "Warley CB through time". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ "West Bromwich MB/CB through time". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ISBN 1860774180.
- ^ Sandwell View Point, issue no.10
- ^ "Car cruising | Sandwell Council".
- ^ a b "Councillors – Sandwell Council". Sandwell MBC. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Historic Tory win in Halesowen and Rowley Regis". Halesowen News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ "Abbey (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Blackheath (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Bristnall (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Charlemont with Grove Vale (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Cradley Heath and Old Hill (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Friar Park (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Great Barr with Yew Tree (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Great Bridge (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Greets Green and Lyng (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Hateley Heath (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Langley (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Newton (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Oldbury (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Old Warley (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Princes End (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Rowley (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Smethwick (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Soho and Victoria (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "St Pauls (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Tipton Green (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Tividale (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Wednesbury North (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Wednesbury South (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "West Bromwich Central (Ward) – Population Density". Neighbourhood Statistics. ONS. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ a b "Sandwell College guide". The Telegraph. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- ^ Fraud row college to axe 100 jobs
- ^ "Home". sandwell.ac.uk.
- ^ "Twin town". Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
External links
- Sandwell MBC
- Research Sandwell Archived 25 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- Sandwell Trends – a Local Intelligence System for Sandwell
- Sandwell Building Schools for the Future
- Sandwell Lions Club Archived 7 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine