Borough of Walsall | |
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Coordinates: 52°34′48″N1°58′48″W / 52.58000°N 1.98000°W | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Constituent country | England |
Region | West Midlands |
Metropolitan county | West Midlands |
Historic county | Staffordshire |
Admin HQ | Walsall |
Metropolitan borough status | 1 April 1974 |
Government | |
• Type | Metropolitan borough |
• Governing body | Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council |
• Mayor | Chris Towe |
• MPs: | Valerie Vaz (L) Eddie Hughes (C) Wendy Morton (C) |
Area | |
• Total | 40.14 sq mi (103.95 km2) |
Population (2021) | |
• Total | 284,306 (Ranked 55th) |
• Density | 6,943/sq mi (2,681/km2) |
Ethnicity (2021) | |
• Ethnic groups | |
Religion (2021) | |
• Religion | List
|
Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
Postcode | |
Area code(s) | 01922, 01902, 01543 & 0121 |
ISO 3166-2 | GB-WLL |
ONS code | 00CU (ONS) E08000030 (GSS) |
OS grid reference | SP015985 |
NUTS 3 | UKG35 |
Website | www.walsall.gov.uk |
The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Walsall, but covers a larger area which also includes Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Darlaston, Pelsall and Willenhall.
The borough had an estimated population of 254,500 in 2007. [3]
The borough was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It is bounded on the west by the City of Wolverhampton, the south by the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, to the south east by the City of Birmingham, and by the Staffordshire districts of Lichfield, Cannock Chase and South Staffordshire to the east, north and northwest respectively. Most of the borough is highly industrialised and densely populated, but areas around the north and east of the borough are open space.
Prior to 1966, the area that would later become the metropolitan borough of Walsall was governed by five smaller local authorities:
The four urban districts were all within the administrative county of Staffordshire, in a two-tier structure with Staffordshire County Council providing county-level services. [4] [5] [6] [7] Walsall itself was a self-governing county borough, independent from the county council, but was still deemed to be part of Staffordshire for ceremonial purposes. [8]
A review of local government in the West Midlands area was carried out under the Local Government Act 1958, culminating in the West Midlands Review Order 1965, which merged many of the districts in the area with effect from 1 April 1966. Darlaston and Willenhall were both absorbed into the county borough of Walsall, whilst the two urban districts of Brownhills and Aldridge merged to become Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District. At the same time, there were also more minor boundary adjustments with neighbouring areas around the edges of the new districts. [9] [10]
The new arrangements were relatively short-lived. Under the Local Government Act 1972, local government in the area was reviewed again, with Walsall County Borough and Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District merging to become the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall on 1 April 1974. On the same date the area became part of the new metropolitan county of West Midlands. [11] For the next twelve years there was a two-tier structure in place, with West Midlands County Council providing higher county-level services. The county council was abolished in 1986.
There were adjustments to some of the boundaries between Walsall and its neighbours in 1994. [12]
The residents of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall are represented in the British Parliament by Members of Parliament (MPs) for three separate parliamentary constituencies. Since the 2017 General Election, Walsall North has been represented by Eddie Hughes MP (Conservative), [13] Walsall South by Valerie Vaz MP (Labour) [14] and Aldridge-Brownhills by Wendy Morton MP (Conservative). [15] The borough is part of the West Midlands constituency in the European Parliament. Prior to Brexit in 2020, the West Midlands region elected seven MEPs.
In 1974, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council was created to administer the new metropolitan borough. Elections to the council take place in three out of every four years, with one-third of the seats being contested at each election. Between its formation in 1974 and the 2003 election, the council varied between control by the Labour Party, and where no one party had an overall majority. From 2003 to 2011 the Conservative Party then held a majority of councillors. [16] At the 2011 election the Conservative Party lost five seats, while Labour gained eight, and afterwards no party held a majority. [17] At the 2019 election, the Conservative Party regained control of the council. [18]
Walsall MBC Compared | ||||
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2011 UK Census | Walsall MBC | West Midlands county | England | |
Total population | 269,323 | 2,738,100 | 53,013,000 | |
White | 78.8% | 70.1% | 85.5% | |
Asian | 15.2% | 18.9% | 7.7% | |
Black | 2.3% | 6.0% | 3.4% | |
Source: Office for National Statistics [19] |
At the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001, according to the Office for National Statistics, the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall had a total resident population of 253,499, of which 123,189 (48.6%) were male and 130,310 (51.4%) were female, [20] with 101,333 households. [21] The Borough occupied 10,395 hectares (40.14 sq mi) at the time of the 2001 census. [20]
Its population density was 22.79 people per hectare compared with an average of 28.41 across the West Midlands metropolitan county. [20] The median age of the population was 37, compared with 36 within the West Midlands metropolitan county and 37 across England and Wales. [22]
The majority of the population of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall were born in England (91.77%); 1.42% were born elsewhere within the United Kingdom, 0.82% within the rest of the European Union, and 6.00% elsewhere in the world. [23]
Data on religious beliefs across the borough in the 2001 census show that 72.1% declared themselves to be Christian, 10.0% said they held no religion, and 5.4% reported themselves as Muslim. [24] Whereas in the 2011 Census 59% declared themselves to be Christian, 26% said they held no religion or did not state their religion, and 8.2% reported themselves as Muslim. [25]
Within the Metropolitan Borough, 42.84% of households owned a single car or van, with 31.05% owning none. The average car ownership per household was 1.01, compared with 0.96 across the West Midlands metropolitan county. [21]
Ethnic Group | 2021 [26] | |
---|---|---|
Number | % | |
White: Total | 202,724 | 71.4% |
White: British | 191,529 | 67.4% |
White: Irish | 1,070 | 0.4% |
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller | 576 | 0.2% |
White: Other | 9,549 | 3.4%% |
Asian or Asian British: Total | 53,199 | 18.6% |
Asian or Asian British: Indian | 22,726 | 20% |
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani | 49,739 | 4.9% |
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi | 86,378 | 7.9% |
Asian or Asian British: Chinese | 11,891 | 2.3% |
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | 3,465 | 1.2% |
Black or Black British: Total | 13,024 | 4.6% |
Black or Black British: African | 6,439 | 2.3% |
Black or Black British: Caribbean | 4,889 | 1.7%% |
Black or Black British: Other Black | 1,696 | 0.6%% |
Mixed or British Mixed: Total | 9,317 | 3.2% |
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | 4,834 | 1.7% |
Mixed: White and Black African | 620 | 0.2% |
Mixed: White and Asian | 2,386 | 0.8% |
Mixed: Other Mixed | 1,477 | 0.5% |
Other: Total | 5,862 | 2.1% |
Other: Arab | 509 | 0.2 |
Other: Any other ethnic group | 5,353 | 1.9 |
Ethnic minority: Total | 81,402 | 28.5% |
Total | 284,126 | 100% |
The table below details the population change in the area since 1801. Although the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall has existed as a metropolitan borough only since 1974, figures have been generated by combining data from the towns, villages, and civil parishes that would later be constituent parts of the borough.
Historical population of area now covered by the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall | ||||||||||||
Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | 17,615 | 20,329 | 22,309 | 27,640 | 37,670 | 46,597 | 67,260 | 87,923 | 108,586 | 125,317 | ||
Year | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1941 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 |
Population | 140,919 | 158,465 | 169,406 | 181,114 | 194,983 | 209,918 | 239,729 | 273,794 | 265,908 | 263,399 | 253,502 | 269,300 |
Source: Vision of Britain [27] |
Walsall MBC Compared | ||||
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2001 UK Census | Walsall MBC | West Midlands county | England | |
Population (16–74) | 180,623 | 1,807,918 | 35,532,091 | |
Full-time employment | 39.1% | 38.6% | 40.8% | |
Part-time employment | 11.9% | 11.1% | 11.8% | |
Self-employed | 6.0% | 5.7% | 8.3% | |
Unemployed | 4.4% | 4.6% | 3.3% | |
Retired | 14.8% | 13.5% | 13.5% | |
Source: Office for National Statistics [28] |
At the time of the 2001 census, there were 105,590 people (41.7%) in employment who were resident within Walsall Metropolitan Borough. Of these, 18.60% worked within the wholesale and retail trade, including repair of motor vehicles; 26.44% worked within manufacturing industry; and 9.85% worked within the health and social work sector. [29]
At the 2001 UK census, Walsall Metropolitan Borough had 180,623 residents aged 16 to 74. 2.3% of these people were students with jobs, 6.0% looking after home or family, 6.8% permanently sick or disabled and 2.4% economically inactive for other reasons. These figures are roughly in line with the averages for England, though Metropolitan Borough of Walsall has a higher rate of people who are permanently sick and disabled, where the national average is 5.3%. [28]
The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is split between several travel to work areas (TTWA). The central and northern areas of the borough (including the towns of Walsall, Bloxwich and Brownhills) are within the Walsall and Cannock TTWA, whilst the majority of the area west of the M6 motorway (including the towns of Willenhall and Darlaston) is within the Wolverhampton TTWA. The southeast of the Metropolitan Borough (including Streetly) is within the Birmingham TTWA. [30] The entire borough is within the Birmingham Larger Urban Zone. [31]
Average house prices in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall were fourth out of the metropolitan boroughs in the West Midlands county, with the average house price within the borough being £131,131 during the period April – June 2009, compared with the average across the Metropolitan County of £128,142. [32] Following transfer from the council in 2003, social housing in the area is primarily managed by WATMOS (consisting of eight Tenant management organisations), and the Walsall Housing Group. [33]
The A34 trunk road runs directly through the middle of Walsall .
An elevated section of the M6 Motorway built in 1968 half circles around Walsall to the West of the town. There can be increased congestion on the local A roads whenever the motorway is temporarily closed or in a state of serious delay as road users try to bypass the problem. Junctions (North to South) 11, 10, 9 and 7 allow access to and from various parts of the town. The M6 and M5 join at junction 8.
The A454 runs through Walsall on its way to Sutton Coldfield from Bridgnorth.
45% of pupils in the Borough of Walsall achieved five GCSEs with grades of A*-C, below the national average of 56%. [34]
The borough's education format is a traditional 5–7 infant, 7–11 junior and 11-16/18 secondary school system, with some infant and junior schools being combined single site primary schools, while others have infant and junior schools on separate sites. The towns of Walsall, Bloxwich, Darlaston and Willenhall have always used these age ranges, but the Aldridge, Brownhills and Streetly areas (which became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in 1974) adopted 5–9 first, 9–13 middle and 13-16/18 secondary schools in September 1972. However, this system was discontinued and replaced with the traditional age ranges in September 1986 to fit in with the other schools in the Walsall borough. [35]
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Walsall.
West Midlands is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the larger West Midlands region of England. A landlocked county, it is bordered by Staffordshire to the north and west, Worcestershire to the south, and is surrounded by Warwickshire to the east. The largest settlement is the city of Birmingham.
Walsall is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Birmingham, 7 miles (11 km) east of Wolverhampton and 9 miles (14 km) from Lichfield.
Aldridge is a town and civil parish in the Walsall borough, West Midlands, England. It is historically a village that was part of Staffordshire until 1974. The town is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Brownhills, 5 miles (8 km) from Walsall, 6 miles (9.7 km) from Sutton Coldfield and 7 miles (11 km) from Lichfield. The town is also the second-largest town in the Walsall Borough.
The West Midlands conurbation is the large conurbation in the West Midlands region of England. The area consists of two cities and numerous towns: to the east, the city of Birmingham, along with adjacent towns of Solihull and Sutton Coldfield; and to the west, the city of Wolverhampton and the area called the Black Country, containing the towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Oldbury, Willenhall, Bilston, Darlaston, Tipton, Smethwick, Wednesbury, Rowley Regis, Stourbridge and Halesowen.
Brownhills is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England. A few miles south of Cannock Chase and close to the large Chasewater reservoir, it is 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of Walsall, a similar distance southwest of Lichfield and 13 miles (20.9 km) miles north-northwest of Birmingham. It is part of the Aldridge-Brownhills parliamentary constituency and neighbours the large suburban villages of Pelsall and Walsall Wood. It lies within the boundaries of the historic county of Staffordshire.
Streetly is an area in the county of West Midlands, England which lies around 7 miles (11 km) to the north of Birmingham City Centre. It is uniquely located within the borders of Birmingham, Lichfield and Walsall district authorities, and is part of the West Midlands conurbation. It is adjacent to, New Oscott, Great Barr, Four Oaks, Little Aston and Aldridge.
The West Midlands region straddles the historic borders between the counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire in the north, and Worcestershire in the south.
Aldridge-Brownhills is a constituency in the West Midlands, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Wendy Morton, a Conservative.
A civil parish is a subnational entity, forming the lowest unit of local government in England. There are 21 civil parishes in the ceremonial county of West Midlands, most of the county being unparished; Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton are completely unparished. At the 2001 census, there were 89,621 people living in the parishes, accounting for 3.5 per cent of the county's population.
Walsall North is a constituency created in 1955 represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Eddie Hughes, a member of the Conservative Party.
Walsall South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Valerie Vaz, a member of the Labour Party.
Walsall was a rural district in Staffordshire, England from 1894 to 1934.
Pheasey is a residential area of Walsall Metropolitan Borough in the West Midlands of England, often considered to be part of Great Barr. The area was predominantly developed for housing, as the Pheasey Estate, in the 1930s, but work was not completed until after the Second World War. Barr Beacon, a hill, is a local landmark.
Darlaston Urban District was a local authority which existed within the West Midlands conurbation, England from 1894 until 1966. It was centred on the township of Darlaston in the Black Country, and also incorporated the villages of Bentley and Moxley.
Walsall Council, formally Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall.
The Walsall Silver Thread Tapestries are a set of eleven artworks, in the form of tapestries, designed by the artist Hunt Emerson in conjunction with the various communities of Walsall, England and hand stitched by local people there during 2016. They depict the people, places, history and wildlife of the towns and districts that, since 1974, have formed the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall.
The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership is a local enterprise partnership which seeks to help with economic growth and future plans around the Black Country in the West Midlands County, England. The partnership is shared around the Dudley Metropolitan Borough, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough, Walsall Metropolitan Borough and the city of Wolverhampton. These are also part of the West Midlands Conurbation, along with Birmingham and Solihull, as well as Coventry, although this is not part of the conurbation but rather the county. The partnership is also the only partnership to adopt the historic Black Country name as the country is only recognized by the Black Country Flag and its history in industrial.