Sandwell

Sandwell is a metropolitan borough situated in the heart of the Black Country amongst the boroughs Wolverhampton, Dudley and Walsall; and has a population of over 280,000 people.  The area has been known as Sandwell since 1974 following the amalgamation of the former boroughs of Warley and West Bromwich and encompasses the six towns of Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich.  The borough is the fourth most densely populated district in the West Midlands but it has the highest proportion of open spaces and parks.  Sandwell has a strong infrastructure being serviced by the M6 and M5.

Sandwell’s distinctive character was forged in the heart of the Industrial Revolution and the Borough remains a major centre for manufacturing to this day. The world’s first iron steam ship, the Aaron Manby, was built in Tipton’s Horseley Ironworks in 1822. In sharp contrast, this industrial heartland is also home to the award winning Sandwell Valley and Park Farm, offering the peace of the countryside with over 2,000 acres of parkland. Sandwell Valley Country Park located within Sandwell Valley provides a real taste of the countryside within one mile of West Bromwich Town Centre and has over 2000 acres of woodland and parkland with wildfowl lakes and the remains of an old Benedictine Priory. The footpaths include part of the Beacon Way, a 25 mile waymarked trail from Sandwell Park Farm to Gentleshaw.

As well as this, culture is already well represented in Sandwell. Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery is home to both the Richards Collection of nineteenth century English and Dutch masters as well as a superb collection of Ruskin pottery – the world’s largest collection on public display. Sandwell is also rich in historic buildings, many pre-dating the Industrial Revolution providing a fascinating insight into the earlier life of the region. Sixteenth Century Oak House in West Bromwich and Haden Hill House in Rowley Regis are just two outstanding examples.

West Bromwich Town Centre will experience significant change during the next few years. Proposals to enhance the role of West Bromwich as the primary town centre for Sandwell are via £1.6 billion regeneration plan. This will include a realigned ring road, office development, a major new supermarket development, retail expansion, a new police station, college, magistrate’s courts, and The Public, which is currently under construction. The development is in accord with the 30-year vision for West Bromwich derived from the Black Country Study. Major development also includes the new Sandwell/west Birmingham Hospital which is currently under construction.

New developments will capitalise on the access provided by Midland Metro. In addition to these town centre developments, a large part of the western town centre is within the New Deal For Communities Programme, which has attracted £56M of investment. It is planned to introduce more residential in and around the wider town centre.

Sandwell College will be home to a multi million pound new campus located in the heart of West Bromwich, adjacent to the Metro station and bus station. The college’s aim is to create a state of the art facility with satellite provision across the Borough by 2010 and also replacing the current facilities in Smethwick, Oldbury and West Bromwich. It will have over 10,000 students.