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Month: January 2023

Voters In Walsall Reminded About Photo ID Ahead of May Elections

Walsall Council is reminding residents in the borough this week that photographic ID will be required during the next local election in May.

walsall council office
Walsall Council House

For the first time in voting history, residents will need one of the following forms of ID to vote:

  • UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport;
  • a UK, EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence;
  • Some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card

Those who do not have one of the above forms of ID can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate online at voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk/

Ailsa Irvine, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance, said:

“Anyone voting at a polling station in England this May will need to show photo ID before they can be given their ballot paper. It’s important that everyone understands what types of ID they can use, and how to apply for free ID if they need it. You can find information about the new requirement and what to expect at the polling station on the Electoral Commission’s website.”

Dr Helen Paterson, Returning Officer at Walsall Council, said:

“With local elections taking place in Walsall on Thursday 4 May 2023, it is important that those who want to vote ensure they are registered to do so, and then make sure they have an accepted form of ID. It may seem early but checking now means you will be ready to vote in May.

“Residents who do not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for free ID either online or by completing a paper application form, available on request from Walsall Council electoral services team. If you need any help with applying for the free ID or want to request an application form, contact the electoral services team on 01922 652502 or email ElectionOffice@walsall.gov.uk”

Local elections are taking place in Walsall on Thursday 4 May 2023

Walsall Creative Factory Announces Community Arts Celebration

Walsall Creative Factory will be celebrating art within the community with a special event and exhibition at the New Walsall Art Gallery in February.

Walsall Creative Factory situated in Westbourne Street. Picture credit: Creative Factory Facebook

Starting on 4 February until 18 June, the Community Gallery on the ground floor will be transformed with artwork that celebrates the richness and creativity of those who attend the many workshops at their base in the Butts.

To kick off the community celebration, a free launch event will take place on Saturday 4 February between 2-4pm, where children attending can enjoy crown-making and mehndi, as well as poetry by David Calcutt and storytime with Queen Bee and the fairies.

Formed in 2015, the Creative Factory runs numerous activities from its community arts workshop situated in Westbourne Street and has been involved in dozens of dynamic arts and heritage projects in the West Midlands.

More information about the event can be found on The New Art Gallery website.

Explosion Rocks Walsall Causing Two Hour Power Cut

Exploding gas cylinders were the cause of a fire in Walsall on Wednesday evening that caused power cuts across the borough.

West Midlands fire service was called out to an area by junction 10 close to the site of the former Showcase cinema at approximately 5.10pm after residents reported an orange flash in the sky followed by a loud explosion.


Three fire engines rushed to the scene as the nearby Boundary Mill store was evacuated as a precaution, while crews tackled a blaze. Posting on Twitter shortly after the reports, the fire service confirmed the blaze was caused by the explosion of gas cylinders.

Numerous Walsall postcodes and local traffic lights were affected by a blackout caused by the explosion, which saw debris short-circuit a local substation. National Grid had fixed the problem and power was restored by approximately 7pm.

Police block the area near to Boundary Mill Store in Bentley. Picture credit: Robert Millard

No-one was injured at the scene and police are investigating whether the incident was an accident or caused deliberately.

Birmingham Council Scraps Proposed Car Parking Charges At Nature Spots

Birmingham City Council has scrapped plans to charge for parking at a number of nature hotspots.

A consultation was in progress to introduce car parking charges at Lickey Hills Country Park, Woodgate Valley Country Park, Sutton Park, Sheldon Country Park and Rectory Park.

Lickey Hills (Trip Advisor)

Following public petitions and responses to the consultation, the council decided at a meeting this week that it will no longer go ahead with the charges, citing the cost-of-living crisis and other factors.

Numerous councillors welcomed the decision, including Councillor Ketty Brewer and Bruce Lines, who said:

“These parks belong to the people of Birmingham and maintaining access to these green spaces is vital.

“Green spaces are not only necessary for leisure, but for our mental and physical health.”

Walsall Council Allocates £1.6 Million To Parks And Outdoor Gyms

Walsall Council has allocated £1.6 million to improve 13 playgrounds across the borough. A new play area will also be constructed at Leamore Park.

The money will also be spent on installing new outdoor gyms in areas including Aldridge airport, King George V playing fields and Holland Park.

On numerous play sites, it was uncovered that many of the facilities were no longer fit for purpose and the cash injection will help to bring them up to standard.

Councillor Gary Flint, Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing, welcomed the news of the investment:

“ This is fantastic news for families, with improvements to many Walsall play facilities. I encourage people to have their say on how the investment should be used by taking part in the public engagement exercise over the next couple of months “

The council is currently encouraging residents to have their say on the proposals throughout January and February > https://walsallparksandgreenspaces.commonplace.is/​​​​​​​

Family Of Aldridge Knife Crime Victim Campaign For Amnesty Bins

The family of James Brindley, the 26-year-old Aldridge man who was stabbed on a night out in 2017, are campaigning for the instalment of knife amnesty bins across the borough.

Knife bin in Halesowen

Via the James Brindley Foundation, the #saferstreets campaign is hoping that money can be raised for 12 bins that allow people to ditch their knives anonymously.

Speaking with the BBC, James’s father Mark said:  “We believe that our streets are safer with knives in amnesty bins rather than in pockets.

“There is only one bin in Walsall at the moment, but there are many more locations where they are needed.”

“We still need donations to fund all of the bins because we want to get them out on the streets, saving lives as quickly as possible.”

James was stabbed to death on 23 June 2017 just 400 metres from his home by 17-year-old Ammar Kahrod, who is now serving at least 17 years for his murder.

The James Brindley Foundation was set up to increase awareness of knife crime and raise money to help reduce crime. If you would like to help, please visit The James Brindley Foundation for further information.

2021 Census Data Reveals Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity of Walsall Population

Data just released from the 2021 census reveals the sexual orientation of residents over the age of 16 in Walsall, as well as information on gender identity.

Census 2021 form

While 201,330 Walsall residents identified as straight or heterosexual, 2,399 identified as gay or lesbian, 1,876 as bisexual and 550 as “all other sexual orientations”. 16,945 residents didn’t answer the question.

For the first time in a census, the results reveal an estimate of the sexual orientation of people within the town, which reveals:

  • 90.24% Straight
  • 1.07% gay or lesbian
  • 0.84% bisexual
  • 0.25% Other sexual orientations

7.6% of residents didn’t answer the question.

Data on gender identity was also released, confirming the following statistics for the Walsall borough:

  • 92.90 % (207,254) identify with the gender they were born with
  • 0.27% (592) identify with a different gender identity than from their sex at birth
  • 0.09% (196) identify as a trans woman
  • 0.09% (207) identify as a trans man
  • 0.03% (57) identify as non-binary
  • 0.02% (34) identify as “other gender identities”

6.62% (14,760) of Walsall residents did not answer the question on gender.

National statistics can be found on the ons.gov.uk website.

Sandwell Aims For Zero Suicides By 2030 With New Strategy

With the aim of achieving zero suicides in the borough by 2030, Sandwell Council has launched a Suicide Prevention Strategy.

In line with the Sandwell Suicide Prevention Partnership, the action plan was put together with help from local community groups and residents.

Available to read in full on the Healthy Sandwell website, the strategy includes raising awareness throughout the community and investing in various areas, including:

  • Training frontline council staff, first responders and GPs
  • Developing effective communication around suicide prevention
  • Improving access to support
  • Building capacity in the voluntary and community sector

Councillor Suzanne Hartwell, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults, Social Care and Health, said: “We recognise that the causes of suicide are varied and complex, and that every story is different. So one of our main objectives is to make sure that anyone across the system who comes into contact with someone who is struggling or thinking about ending their life has the skills and knowledge to be able have a supportive conversation with that person and guide them to appropriate support.”

If you’re in need of support, please check out the Healthy Sandwell website for details of organisations who can help.

Former Walsall Pub and Cannabis Factory Could Become Apartments

An application to turn a former pub and cannabis factory in Willenhall into apartments is currently under consideration.

The Castle Inn on New Road closed in 2018 before refurbishment was abandoned due to a severe fire shortly after. The pub remained abandoned until police discovered it was being used as a cannabis factory in 2020 and seized £500k worth of plants.

The proposed plan for SEVEN apartments, including an extension to the existing building, has been made by Amrik Singh

Agents MTC Planning and Design said: “The Castle Inn traded in June 2018, it was then closed so that full refurbishment could take place.

“Unfortunately, before this was completed a severe fire occurred that caused extensive internal damage. As a result the public house never re-opened and remained boarded and closed to the public.

“As such the pub has not traded for four years, was available to purchase by would be potential landlords to run as a going concern but no interest has been expressed.

“It is clear from in internal inspection that significant sums of money would be required to repair and restore the public house into a usable site, a cost that would be very risky due to a) the current economic climate that is severely affecting public houses, and b) the fact that this site has long lost its trade.

“Therefore, it is clear that public house is redundant and can be considered suitable for conversion, re-use, and refurbishment.

“The proposals (are) to partially demolish the outbuildings to the former Castle Inn public house, convert the existing buildings into studio style apartments and construct a two-story rear extension to include a 7th apartment.

“The proposals will seek to preserve a prominent local building, provide residential accommodation that does not cause overlooking issues to existing neighbouring properties, and improve existing site access.

“The design seeks to reuse a redundant building in a viable way that provides accommodation in a sustainable location.”

Related News

Dance Studio 22 Shimmies Into 2023

Dance Studio 22, the Great Barr dance school, is looking forward to a spectacular 2023 after enjoying a clutch of awards.

Sam Howell, principal of the school, which holds classes at the Glenmead Primary School, said her award-winning dancers showcased their talents at multiple competitions towards the end of 2022, picking up many awards.

Highest marked dancers of the year: Brontie Kearney and Esmie McCarthy

Brontie Kearney and Esmie McCarthy picked up the highest marked duet and highest marked dancers of the year for their performances, while Brontie also picked up adjudicator’s choice.

Director’s choice went to Elsie Pettitt, while Fraya Tyler was awarded highest marked novice soloist. Highest marked open soloist went to Tiané Agbonlahor and Charlotte Detheridge won the wild card competition.

The jazz troupe also picked up highest marks for its dances in competition.

“It was a fantastic competitions season,” said Sam.

“We’ve also had a wonderful time performing at Alton Tower’s Scarefest, where we performed four pieces, and rounded off the year with our colourful Christmas show, which celebrates all the children’s hard work and makes sure we see the year out with a bang.”

Dance Studio 22 has opened its registers for new pupils. Anyone interested should telephone 07928 307 107 for more information or contact the team via its website: www.dancestudio22.com

Written by Jayne Howarth