Big shake-up for Sandwell Council's 24 electoral wards

A total shake-up is planned of Sandwell's 24 electoral wards to ensure they continue to give a fair representation of the borough.

A 12-week consultation period on the new boundaries has now opened, and will run until May 12.

Final recommendations will then be published on September 2, and will go before Parliament for ratification. If adopted, the new electoral wards will come into effect next year, when an 'all-up' election for all 72 seats will take place.

No ward will be unchanged under the proposals, although the only alterations to Great Barr with Yew Tree will be a slight tweak to encompass the whole of Red House Park, and a change of name to Great Barr Tamebridge and Yew Tree.

It is the first review of these boundaries since 2004, and the aim is to adjust boundaries to reflect the changes in population.

Each ward will continue to be represented by three councillors, and the target is for all wards to contain 10,000-11,000 voters.

Under the commission's draft recommendations, the existing Abbey ward will be replaced with a renamed Bearwood ward, which will be extended north-eastwards to include the Bearwood Road area, but to exclude the area to the west of Woodbourne Road, which would be transferred to redrawn Old Warley ward. Sandwell Council had recommended the ward boundary should run through a row of terraced houses, opposite Victoria Park, but the Commission suggests this should be amended to keep them all in a single ward.

The existing Wednesbury North ward will be extended south-eastwards to Woden Road South, and will be renamed Wednesbury. The neighbouring Wednesbury South ward will also be extended south-east to Albion roundabout, and renamed Hill Top and Ocker Hill. The changes were backed by Tipton and Wednesbury MP Antonia Bance as bringing the town of Wednesbury together in a single ward.

The existing Friar Park ward will be extended to include Stone Cross, and renamed Friar Park and Stone Cross, although Lincoln Road, including Stone Cross Library, will remain in Hateley Heath ward.

The Charlemont with Grove Vale will be renamed Charlemont & Grove Vale, under the proposals, and will be extended to include the area around Heath Lane Cemetery.

In West Bromwich, the existing Newton ward will be extended south-west to include Sandwell Valley Country Park, as well as the Churchfield area and Warstone Drive. It is proposed that the new ward would be renamed Newton & Valley. The proposal is backed by West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes, although Liberal Democrats expressed concern over the geographical size of the ward.

 Only minor amendments are proposed for the Greets Green & Lyng and Great Bridge wards, with residents around Whitgreave Street and Stour Street moving from the former into the latter ward, along with those in Tasker Street.

West Bromwich Central ward will be reduced slightly, losing the Sandwell Valley, Oakwood Park and Old Meeting Street.

Hateley Heath ward will lose Stone Cross, and the area surrounding Heath Lane Hospital, but will take in Oakwood Park from the existing West Bromwich Central ward.

The commission supports a proposal from Halesowen Conservative Party that will see Old Hill moved from the existing Cradley Heath & Old Hill ward, into a new Blackheath & Old Hill ward. The new Cradley Heath ward will instead extend as far as Lawrence Lane and Beechcroft Road to include Hickman’s Avenue and Brook Lane. It also proposed that voters in the Waterfall Lane and Perry Park Road area, who are currently in Blackheath ward, be located in the proposed Cradley Heath ward. The proposed Blackheath & Old Hill ward excludes the area north of Mincing Lane but includes that south of Park Avenue and west of The Westminster School in the Brickhouse Farm area. 

The new Rowley ward will lose the area around Powke Lane and Harvest Road to the new Blackheath and Old Hill ward, but will expand westwards to take in Bury Hill Park, Wallace Road and Ascot Close. It will also take in the area to the south of Whiteheath Gate, with a western boundary along Oldbury Road.

The Soho & Victoria and St Pauls wards of Smethwick will be reduced in size, with Cheshire Road and Firs Road being moved into the neighbouring Smethwick ward, and High Street and Edgbaston Road into Bearwood. 

The boundary between St Pauls and Bristnall wards will be moved to follow Warley Road, under the proposals, while St Pauls and Oldbury wards to follow Mallin Street and St Paul’s Road. The boundary between St Pauls and Oldbury wards will follow the railway lines, if the plans are adopted.

The boundary between Smethwick and Bristnall wards would be moved from Hurst Road to Thimblemill Road as the boundary between these wards as we consider it to be a strong and locally recognisable boundary that will be conducive of effective and convenient local government. 

The majority of the existing Bristnall ward will be retained,  but the Bristnall Fields area will be transferred into Langley ward. The commission rejected proposals by Sandwell Council to transfer Falcon Road to Old Warley, saying that Brandhall Golf Course represented a more natural boundary.

Old Warley ward would be extended so its north-eastern boundary followed the rear of George Road, Pottery Road and Hesket Avenue.

Launching the consultation, commission chairman Prof Colin Mellors said he wanted the people of Sandwell to help by having their say.

"We want to make sure these new electoral arrangements reflect communities," he said.

"We also want them to be easy to understand and convenient for local people. Residents and local organisations can help us do that. We would like them to let us know whether they agree with our proposals before we take final decisions."

People can view the proposals in detail and comment on the website https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/sandwell , and they can also give their views by e-mail at reviews@lgbce.org.uk or by post to: The Review Officer (Sandwell).Local Government Boundaries Commission for England, 7th Floor, 3 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8YZ.