Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
Type
Type
Metropolitan district council of Walsall
Seats 60
Elections
First past the post
Meeting place
Civic Centre, Walsall
Website
walsall.gov.uk
Labour Party group leader, Councillor Tim Oliver, member for Birchills Leamore ward.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974 to administer the newly formed Metropolitan Borough of Walsall.

The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is based on an amalgamation of two former local government districts, Walsall County Borough and Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District. Both areas had previously seen major changes in 1966, with Walsall County Borough being expanded to cover areas formerly administered by the Municipal Boroughs of Bilston and Wednesbury, as well as the Urban Districts of Coseley, Darlaston, Willenhall and Wednesfield. However, in all cases only parts of those areas were transferred into the County Borough, with other areas being moved into different authorities.[1] Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District was created from the majority of the former Urban Districts of Aldridge and Brownhills, along with some smaller areas from other local authorities.[2]

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council was assessed by the Audit Commission in 2008 and judged to be "improving well" in providing services for local people. Overall the council was awarded "three star" status meaning it was "performing well" and "consistently above minimum requirements", similar to 46% of all local authorities.[3]

The council offices are located at the Civic Centre in the heart of Walsall. 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 the 2011 election the Conservative Party then held a majority of councillors.[4] However in 2011 Labour made eight gains, including 5 from the Conservatives and as a result the council came under no overall control,[5] with the Conservatives continuing as a minority administration.[6]

Party political make-up of Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
   Party Seats 2011 Council
2010[7] 2011[5]
  Conservative 33 28                                                                                                                      
  Labour 18 26                                                                                                                        
  Lib Dems 6 5                                                                                                                        
  Other 3 1                                                                                                                        

Electoral wards

The Metropolitan Borough Council has 60 local councillors representing 20 wards. The wards are:

Ward name Area (ha)/mi2 Population
(2001 census)		 Population density (people per hectare) Ref.
Aldridge Central and South 1,143 hectares (4.41 sq mi) 12,267 10.73 [8]
Aldridge North and Walsall Wood 784 hectares (3.03 sq mi) 12,874 16.43 [9]
Bentley and Darlaston North 439 hectares (1.69 sq mi) 13,689 31.19 [10]
Birchills Leamore 413 hectares (1.59 sq mi) 13,659 33.05 [11]
Blakenall 353 hectares (1.36 sq mi) 11,950 33.86 [12]
Bloxwich East 369 hectares (1.42 sq mi) 11,072 29.99 [13]
Bloxwich West 388 hectares (1.50 sq mi) 14,816 38.15 [14]
Brownhills 724 hectares (2.80 sq mi) 12,637 17.45 [15]
Darlaston South 334 hectares (1.29 sq mi) 12,252 36.64 [16]
Paddock 546 hectares (2.11 sq mi) 13,073 23.92 [17]
Palfrey 368 hectares (1.42 sq mi) 14,596 39.71 [18]
Pelsall 499 hectares (1.93 sq mi) 14,344 28.74 [19]
Pheasey Park Farm 758 hectares (2.93 sq mi) 10,435 13.76 [20]
Pleck 338 hectares (1.31 sq mi) 10,653 31.53 [21]
Rushall-Shelfield 577 hectares (2.23 sq mi) 11,754 20.37 [22]
Short Heath 380 hectares (1.5 sq mi) 11,435 30.05 [23]
St. Matthew's 353 hectares (1.36 sq mi) 12,214 34.64 [24]
Streetly 750 hectares (2.9 sq mi) 13,251 17.66 [25]
Willenhall North 235 hectares (0.91 sq mi) 12,536 53.41 [26]
Willenhall South 481 hectares (1.86 sq mi) 13,795 28.70 [27]
Total 10,396 hectares (40.14 sq mi) 253,499 24.39 [28]

References

  1. ↑ "Relationships / unit history of WALSALL". A Vision of Britain. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  2. ↑ "Relationships / unit history of ALDRIDGE BROWNHILLS". A Vision of Britain. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  3. ↑ "Walsall Metropolitban Borough Council comprehensive performance assessment (CPA) scorecard 2007". Audit Commission. 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  4. ↑ "Walsall local elections 2008". London: BBC Online. 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "England council elections". BBC News Online. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  6. ↑ "Walsall Council opts for minority administration". BBC News Online. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  7. ↑ "Walsall". BBC News Online. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  8. ↑ "Area: Aldridge Central and South (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  9. ↑ "Area: Aldridge North and Walsall Wood (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  10. ↑ "Area: Bentley and Darlaston North (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  11. ↑ "Area: Birchills Leamore (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  12. ↑ "Area: Blakenall (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  13. ↑ "Area: Bloxwich East (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  14. ↑ "Area: Bloxwich East (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  15. ↑ "Area: Brownhills (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  16. ↑ "Area: Darlaston South (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  17. ↑ "Area: Paddock (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  18. ↑ "Area: Palfrey (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  19. ↑ "Area: Pelsall (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  20. ↑ "Area: Pheasey Park Farm (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  21. ↑ "Area: Pleck (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  22. ↑ "Area: Rushall - Shelfield (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  23. ↑ "Area: Short Heath (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  24. ↑ "Area: St. Matthew's (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  25. ↑ "Area: Streetly (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  26. ↑ "Area: Willenhall North (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  27. ↑ "Area: Willenhall South (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  28. ↑ "Area: Walsall (Local Authority) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-27.

External links