Walsall_Council

Walsall Council

Local government body in England

Walsall Council, formally Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall.

Quick Facts Type, Leadership ...

Walsall Council

Type
Type	Metropolitan borough
Leadership
Mayor	Chris Towe, Conservative since 22 May 2023^[1]
Leader	Mike Bird, Conservative since 23 May 2018^[2]
Chief Executive	Emma Bennett since October 2023^[3]
Structure
Seats	60 councillors
Political groups	Administration (37) Conservative (37) Opposition (23) Labour (12) Independent (11)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	4 May 2023
Next election	2024
Meeting place

Council House, Lichfield Street, Walsall, WS1 1TW
Website
walsall.gov.uk

History

From 1889 to 1974 Walsall was a county borough, independent of any county council.^[4] Under the Local Government Act 1972 it had its territory enlarged and became a metropolitan borough, with West Midlands County Council providing county-level services. West Midlands County Council was abolished in 1986 and Walsall became a unitary authority.

The council has been a constituent member of the West Midlands Combined Authority since 2016.

Governance

Political control

The Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council since 2019.

The first election to the reconstituted borough council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:^[5]^[6]

More information Party in control, Years ...

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1974–1976
	No overall control	1976–1980
	Labour	1980–1982
	No overall control	1982–1988
	Labour	1988–1992
	No overall control	1992–1995
	Labour	1995–1996
	No overall control	1996–1999
	Labour	1999–2000
	No overall control	2000–2004
	Conservative	2004–2011
	No overall control	2011–2019
	Conservative	2019–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Walsall. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2004 have been:^[7]

More information Councillor, Party ...

Councillor		From	To
Tom Ansell	Conservative	pre-2004	May 2007
John O'Hare	Conservative	23 May 2007	May 2009
Mike Bird	Conservative	20 May 2009	11 Aug 2014
Sean Coughlan	Labour	11 Aug 2014	1 Jun 2015
Mike Bird	Conservative	1 Jun 2015	25 May 2016
Sean Coughlan^[8]	Labour	25 May 2016	23 May 2018
Mike Bird	Conservative	23 May 2018

Composition

Following the 2023 election and subsequent changes of allegiance up to February 2024 the composition of the council was:^[9]

More information Party, Councillors ...

Party		Councillors
	Conservative	37
	Labour	12
	Independent	11
Total		60

Nine of the independent councillors sit together as a group.^[10] The next election is due in 2024.

Premises

Civic Centre, Darwall Street

The council meets at the Council House on Lichfield Street, which had been completed in 1905 for the old borough council. The council's main offices are in the adjoining Civic Centre on Darwall Street, which is linked to the Council House by a bridge over Darwall Street.^[11]^[12]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2004, 60 councillors have been elected from 20 wards. Elections to the council take place in three out of every four years, with one-third of the seats being contested at each election.^[13]

Wards

The wards are:^[13]

More information Ward name, Area (ha)/mi2 ...

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	^[14]
Aldridge North and Walsall Wood	784 hectares (3.03 sq mi)	12,874	16.43	^[15]
Bentley and Darlaston North	439 hectares (1.69 sq mi)	13,689	31.19	^[16]
Birchills Leamore	413 hectares (1.59 sq mi)	13,659	33.05	^[17]
Blakenall	353 hectares (1.36 sq mi)	11,950	33.86	^[18]
Bloxwich East	369 hectares (1.42 sq mi)	11,072	29.99	^[19]
Bloxwich West	388 hectares (1.50 sq mi)	14,816	38.15	^[20]
Brownhills	724 hectares (2.80 sq mi)	12,637	17.45	^[21]
Darlaston South	334 hectares (1.29 sq mi)	12,252	36.64	^[22]
Paddock	546 hectares (2.11 sq mi)	13,073	23.92	^[23]
Palfrey	368 hectares (1.42 sq mi)	14,596	39.71	^[24]
Pelsall	499 hectares (1.93 sq mi)	10,344	28.74	^[25]
Pheasey Park Farm	758 hectares (2.93 sq mi)	10,435	13.76	^[26]
Pleck	338 hectares (1.31 sq mi)	10,653	31.53	^[27]
Rushall-Shelfield	577 hectares (2.23 sq mi)	11,754	20.37	^[28]
Short Heath	380 hectares (1.5 sq mi)	11,435	30.05	^[29]
St. Matthew's	353 hectares (1.36 sq mi)	12,214	34.64	^[30]
Streetly	750 hectares (2.9 sq mi)	13,251	17.66	^[31]
Willenhall North	235 hectares (0.91 sq mi)	12,536	53.41	^[32]
Willenhall South	481 hectares (1.86 sq mi)	13,795	28.70	^[33]
Total	10,396 hectares (40.14 sq mi)	253,499	24.39	^[34]

References

[1]
Thandi, Gurdip (17 June 2023). "Music-loving council veteran becomes the new Mayor of Walsall". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
[2]
"Council minutes, 23 May 2018". Walsall Council. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
[3]
"Emma Bennett, Chief Executive biography". Walsall Council. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
[4]
"Walsall Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
[5]
"Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
[6]
"England council elections". BBC News Online. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
[7]
"Council minutes". Walsall Council. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
[8]
Thandi, Gurdip (17 March 2022). "Shamed ex-Walsall Council leader escapes prison sentence for child sex offences". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
[9]
"Councillors". Walsall Council. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
[10]
"Councillors". Walsall Council. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
[11]
Historic England. "Council House, Walsall (1343029)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
[12]
"Walsall Council". Retrieved 17 June 2023.
[13]
"The Borough of Walsall (Electoral Changes) Order 2003", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2003/2511, retrieved 12 September 2022
[14]
"Area: Aldridge Central and South (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[15]
"Area: Aldridge North and Walsall Wood (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[16]
"Area: Bentley and Darlaston North (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[17]
"Area: Birchills Leamore (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[18]
"Area: Blakenall (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[19]
"Area: Bloxwich East (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[20]
"Area: Bloxwich East (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[21]
"Area: Brownhills (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[22]
"Area: Darlaston South (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[23]
"Area: Paddock (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[24]
"Area: Palfrey (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[25]
"Area: Pelsall (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[26]
"Area: Pheasey Park Farm (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[27]
"Area: Pleck (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[28]
"Area: Rushall – Shelfield (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[29]
"Area: Short Heath (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[30]
"Area: St. Matthew's (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[31]
"Area: Streetly (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[32]
"Area: Willenhall North (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[33]
"Area: Willenhall South (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
[34]
"Area: Walsall (Local Authority) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 October 2009.

External links

Walsall Council

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