The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is a local government district of West Midlands, England, with the status of a metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Walsall, but covers a larger area which also includes the towns of Aldridge, Brownhills, Darlaston, Streetly and Willenhall. The borough had an estimated population of 254,500 in 2007.

The current boundaries were set as part of the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, with a change to the north of the borough in 1994. 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.

In 1986 the borough became an effective unitary authority when the West Midlands County Council was abolished. However it remains part of the West Midlands for ceremonial purposes, and for functions such as policing, fire and public transport.

Governance

Parliamentary constituencies

The residents of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall are represented in the British Parliament by Members of Parliament (MPs) for three separate parliamentary constituencies. Walsall North is represented by David Winnick MP (Labour). Walsall South is represented by Bruce George MP (Labour). Aldridge-Brownhills is represented by Richard Shepherd MP (Conservative). The borough is part of the West Midlands constituency in the European Parliament. The West Midlands region elects six MEPs, as at 2009 made up of two Conservatives, one from the Labour Party, one Liberal Democrat, and two members of the United Kingdom Independence Party.

Council

In 1974, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council was created to administer the newly formed metropolitan borough. The council offices are located in Walsall town centre. Between its formation in 1974 and 2003, the council has varied between control by the Labour Party, and where no one party has an overall majority. Since 2003, the Conservative Party have held a majority of councillors. The council has a constitution detailing how they should operate in performing their duties. Councillor John O'Hare is Mayor of Walsall for 2009–10.

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.

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, though it should be noted that in all cases only parts of those areas were transferred into the County Borough, with other areas being moved into different authorities. 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.

Party political make-up of Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

	Party	Seats		Current Council (2008–10)
		2007	2008
	Conservative	33	33
	Labour	18	18
	Lib Dems	6	6
	Other	3	3

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		12,267	10.73
Aldridge North and Walsall Wood		12,874	16.43
Bentley and Darlaston North		13,689	31.19
Birchills Leamore		13,659	33.05
Blakenall		11,950	33.86
Bloxwich East		11,072	29.99
Bloxwich West		14,816	38.15
Brownhills		12,637	17.45
Darlaston South		12,252	36.64
Paddock		13,073	23.92
Palfrey		14,596	39.71
Pelsall		14,344	28.74
Pheasey Park Farm		10,435	13.76
Pleck		10,653	31.53
Rushall-Shelfield		11,754	20.37
Short Heath		11,435	30.05
St. Matthew's		12,214	34.64
Streetly		13,251	17.66
Willenhall North		12,536	53.41
Willenhall South		13,795	28.70
Walsall MBC		253,499	24.39

Demography

Walsall MBC Compared
2001 UK Census	Walsall MBC	West Midlands county	England
Total population	253,499	2,555,592	49,138,831
White	86.4%	79.9%	90.9%
Asian	10.5%	13.4%	4.6%
Black	1.4%	3.7%	2.3%
Source: Office for National Statistics

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, with 101,333 households. The Borough occupied at the time of the 2001 census.

Its population density was 24.39 people per hectare compared with an average of 28.41 across the West Midlands metropolitan county. The median age of the population was 37, compared with 36 within the West Midlands metropolitan county and 37 across England and Wales.

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.

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.

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 & 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. The entire borough is within the Birmingham Larger Urban Zone.

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. 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.

Population change

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
Population	140,919	158,465	169,406	181,114	194,983	209,918	239,729	273,794	265,908	263,399	253,502
Source: Vision of Britain

Economy

Transport

Localities

• Aldridge, Alumwell
• Barr Beacon, Bentley, Birchills, Blakenall Heath, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Brownhills West
• Caldmore, Chuckery, Clayhanger, Coalpool
• Darlaston
• Fullbrook
• Goscote
• Harden, High Heath
• Leamore, Little Bloxwich
• Moxley
• New Invention
• Palfrey, Park Hall, Pelsall, Pheasey, Pleck
• Rushall
• Shelfield, Shire Oak, Short Heath, Spring Bank, Streetly
• Tamebrigde
• Walsall, Walsall Wood, Willenhall
• Yew Tree

Education

45% of pupils in the Borough of Walsall achieved five GCSEs with grades of A*-C, below the national average of 56%.

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.

References