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64-646: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council , or Sandwell Council , is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands , England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the West Midlands Combined Authority since 2016. The council has been under Labour majority control since 1979. It

128-505: A Mayor of London and 25-member London Assembly . The first mayoral and assembly elections took place in 2000. The former Leader of the Greater London Council , Ken Livingstone , served as the inaugural Mayor, until he was defeated by future Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2008 . The incumbent, Sadiq Khan , was first elected in 2016 . The Mayor's functions include chairing Transport for London , holding

192-468: A non-metropolitan county council and two or more non-metropolitan district councils share responsibility for these services. In single-tier areas a unitary authority , London borough , or metropolitan borough provides all services. The City of London and Isles of Scilly have unique local authorities. The London boroughs, metropolitan boroughs, and some unitary authorities collaborate through regional authorities. The Greater London Authority (GLA)

256-519: A community based station. The town is served by the local newspaper, Express & Star . The town has the following secondary schools: Barnford Hill Park off Moat Road in Langley Green was opened in 1916 on land presented to the Borough of Oldbury by Mr W. A. Albright of chemical manufacturer, Albright and Wilson . The park's elevated position gives views to the north and west over

320-483: A county council and a district council, which would share local authority functions. In May 2022, 21 non-metropolitan county councils and 164 non-metropolitan district councils remain. These are better known as simply county councils and district councils. The Local Government Act 1985 also abolished metropolitan county councils, but there are still 36 metropolitan district councils as of May 2022. There are also (as of April 2023) 62 unitary authorities. These carry out

384-547: A devolution deal, which are usually reserved to combined authorities for additional functions and funding. And, like some combined authorities and parish councils, local authorities do have a general power of competence . Separate to combined authorities, two or more local authorities can also work together through joint boards (for legally-required services: fire, public transport and waste disposal), joint committees (voluntarily) or through contracting out and agency arrangements. The Greater London Authority Act 1999 established

448-597: A large expansion in retail since 1980. In October 1980, J   Sainsbury opened one of its first SavaCentre hypermarkets in Oldbury town centre. Twenty years later, it was rebranded as a traditional Sainsbury's store as the SavaCentre side of the business was phased out. A Toys "R" Us superstore at Birchley Island opened in October 1988 but the retail chain went out of business in 2018. Oldbury Green Retail Park

512-515: A local authority. Ten currently exist, with more planned. Parish councils form the lowest tier of local government and govern civil parishes . They may also be called a 'community council', 'neighbourhood council', 'village council', 'town council' or (if the parish holds city status) 'city council', but these names are stylistic and do not change their responsibilities. As of December 2021 there are 10,475 parishes in England, but they do not cover

576-494: A member of the West Midlands Combined Authority , which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of the West Midlands since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across the county, but Sandwell Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions. In 2022 the government appointed commissioners to oversee the operation of certain functions at

640-399: A merger of the old boroughs of Oldbury , Rowley Regis and Smethwick , whilst the borough of West Bromwich had been enlarged in 1966 to absorb the area of the abolished boroughs of Tipton and Wednesbury (along with more minor adjustments to the boundaries with other neighbours). The new district was named Sandwell and it was one of the seven districts in the new metropolitan county of

704-633: A parish council must meet certain conditions of quality. Civil parishes developed in the nineteenth century and were based on the Church of England's parishes , which until then had both ecclesiastical and local government functions; parish councils were created by the Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73). The ecclesiastical parishes continue to exist, but neither they nor their parochial church councils have any local government role. There are 317 local authorities covering

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768-574: A pavilion and car parking. The park formerly catered for crown green bowling, tennis and putting. The land for Langley Park was donated by Arthur Albright in 1886. Tividale Park is a park in Tividale, which is near the border of Oldbury. Broadwell Park features outdoor exercise equipment and fitness stations, as well as a small stream. The archives for the Borough of Oldbury are held at Sandwell Community History and Archives Service The Sadlers rose to become an eminent family in Oldbury during

832-561: A whole has limited revenue-raising powers compared to other G7 countries. In the 20th century, local authorities found that the costs of providing services exceeded the revenues raised from local taxes and so grants from the UK Government (specifically the Treasury ) gradually increased. However, UK Government grants were cut by 40% in real terms between the financial years 2009/10 and 2019/20, although grant income did grow due to

896-481: Is a public interest in disclosing information about local government investments which will generally outweigh any concerns about whether disclosure could affect an investment's performance or be protected by confidentiality requirements. Local authorities cannot borrow money to finance day-to-day spending and so must rely on yearly income or reserves for this type of expenditure, although they can borrow to fund capital expenditure. Local government in England as

960-561: Is based at the Council House in Oldbury . The metropolitan district of Sandwell and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , covering the combined area of the former county boroughs of Warley and West Bromwich , which were both abolished at the same time. It was the second major overhaul of local government structures in the area in eight years; the borough of Warley had only been created in 1966 as

1024-517: Is clear both practically and democratically that the overly centralised arrangements of government in England are problematic" and that reform was also needed of funding structures. As of May 2024, the various combined authorities, county, district, and sui generis councils formed an administrative hierarchy as shown in the table below. Unitary authorities are legally either district councils which also perform county functions or county councils which also perform district functions; they therefore straddle

1088-462: Is the regional authority for Greater London , with responsibility for transport, policing, fire and rescue, development and strategic planning. Combined authorities are statutory bodies which allow two or more local authorities to voluntarily pool responsibilities and negotiate a devolution deal with the UK Government for the area they cover, giving it powers beyond those typically held by

1152-563: The COVID-19 pandemic . Local government receives two types of grants: the Revenue Support Grant, which can be spent on any service according to the wishes of the local government body in question, and specific grants, which are usually 'ring fenced' to specifically defined service areas. Council tax was introduced in 1993 to replace the ' poll tax '. It is a domestic property tax, based on eight bands (A to H) depending on

1216-717: The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Commissioner to account and keeping strategies up to date, including the London Plan . Meanwhile, it is the Assembly's role to regularly hold the Mayor and their key advisers to account and it can also amend the budget or a strategy by a two-thirds majority, though this has not ever happened as of March 2022. Combined authorities can be created at

1280-631: The Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 , Oldbury was reincorporated into Worcestershire after a nine-hundred-year absence. Oldbury was formerly a township and chapelry in the parish of Halesowen, in 1866 Oldbury became a separate civil parish , in 1894, Oldbury became an Urban District , based at the Municipal Buildings and in 1935 the area gained Municipal Borough -status. Oldbury council built several thousand houses, flats and bungalows for 40 years from 1893 until its disbandment,

1344-548: The Localism Act 2011 . In every area, one local authority acts as the billing authority (the district council in two-tier areas), which prepares and collects council tax bills. Other parts of local government (like county councils in two-tier areas, police and crime commissioners, fire authorities, parish councils and combined authorities) act as precepting authorities, which notify the relevant billing authority of their decision on council tax and later receive this money from

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1408-520: The Old English 'Ealdenbyrig', – signifying that Oldbury was old even in early English times over 1,000 years ago. Eald being Old English for 'old', Byrig is the plural of ' burh ' in Old English – a burh being a fortification or fortified town. Oldbury was part of the ancient parish of Halesowen , a detached part of Shropshire surrounded by Worcestershire and Staffordshire . After

1472-434: The West Midlands , England. It is the administrative centre of the borough. At the 2011 census , the town had a population of 13,606, while the 2017 population of the wider built-up area was estimated at 25,488. Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, which defines Oldbury Town as consisting of the wards of Bristnall, Langley, Oldbury, and Old Warley, gave the population as 50,641 in 2011. The place name Oldbury comes from

1536-458: The dissolution of the monasteries , Henry VIII gave Hales Owen manor including Oldbury to Sir John Dudley . In 1555, Sir John's son Robert sold most of Hales Owen manor but retained Oldbury and Langley which became a separate manor. Thus Sir Robert Dudley became the first Lord of the Manor of Oldbury. Oldbury manor was held by several families thereafter with the land gradually being sold off and

1600-636: The sui generis City of London Corporation . The other sui generis local authorities are the Council of the Isles of Scilly , Middle Temple and Inner Temple . Outside Greater London and the Isles of Scilly , the Local Government Act 1972 divided England into metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties, which would have one county council and multiple district councils each. That meant that each area would be covered by two tiers of local authorities - both

1664-623: The 1,000th of which was completed in 1933 at Wallace Road near the border with Rowley Regis . On 1 April 1966 the district was abolished and merged with the County Borough of Smethwick and the Municipal Borough of Rowley Regis to form the County Borough of Warley , part also went to the Municipal Borough of Halesowen and the County Borough of West Bromwich . The parish was also abolished on 1 April 1966 to form Warley , part also went to Halesowen and West Bromwich . In 1961

1728-510: The Black Country. There is a small outcrop of pudding stone , whose pebbles are mainly of encrinal limestone. The park holds a Green Flag Award and is designated one of the borough's nine flagship parks by Sandwell Council. It has an area of 34 hectares (84 acres) and features a pergola, hedge maze and rose garden. Facilities include a skateboarding ramp, multi-sports court, exercise equipment, children's play areas, football pitches,

1792-573: The Electoral Commission has recommended that all authorities use whole council elections every 4 years. Local authorities have a choice of executive arrangements under the Local Government Act 2000 : mayor and cabinet executive, leader and cabinet executive, a committee system or bespoke arrangements approved by the Secretary of State. As of April 2023, just 15 local authorities have directly-elected mayors . Some functions are just

1856-527: The Labour Party as of 2024 except for Tees Valley . Each combined authority's executive consists of a representative from each of its constituent local authorities, plus (if applicable) the mayor. Functions can be devolved directly to the mayor, to the combined authority as a whole, or have a different decision-making requirement. The budget and functions of each combined authority can be vastly different, but possible functions include responsibility for

1920-639: The Oldbury Railway, was linked to the station with its own (third) platform; this opened in November 1884 and the station was renamed Oldbury & Langley Green. The Oldbury Railway, which also linked to Albright and Wilson , had both a passenger station, named Oldbury , on Halesowen Road; and a goods station, at the Birmingham Canal Navigations wharf in Oldbury. Passenger services ran to Oldbury station until March 1915; and

1984-575: The Secretary of State the power to provide for a directly-elected combined authority mayor . And, as of May 2022, nine out of the 10 combined authorities have mayors, including Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester and Andy Street in the West Midlands . In the 2024 local elections , new Combined Authorities were elected; they were the new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority , North East Mayoral Combined Authority , East Midlands Combined County Authority . They are all controlled by

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2048-415: The West Midlands. The first election to the new council was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's outgoing authorities. The new metropolitan district and its council formally came into being on 1 April 1974, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished. The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing

2112-405: The agreement of the relevant local authorities, and under the Localism Act 2011 eligible parish councils can be granted a " general power of competence " (GPC) which allows them within certain limits the freedom to do anything an individual can do provided it is not prohibited by other legislation, as opposed to being limited to the powers explicitly granted to them by law. To be eligible for this

2176-604: The billing authority. Between financial years 2009/10 and 2021/22, council tax rates increased by 30% in real terms, in light of reduced grants from the UK Government. Business rates is a tax on business premises. It is based on the rateable value of the premises (set by the Valuation Office Agency ) and a business rate multiplier. It is set and collected by billing authorities. Reforms in 2013 now mean that local authorities keep 50% of business rate revenues raised locally. The UK Government then distributes

2240-527: The borough. The council has been under Labour majority control since 1979. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Sandwell. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council . The leaders since 1997 have been: Following the 2024 election the composition of the council was: The next election is due in May 2026. Since

2304-485: The chair of the council to take the title of mayor. From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the West Midlands County Council . The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the county's seven borough councils, including Sandwell, with some services provided through joint committees. Since 2016 the council has been

2368-516: The comedian Frank Skinner lived in Oldbury at 181 Bristnall Hall Road. He attended Moat Farm Infants School, St Hubert 's Roman Catholic Junior School and Oldbury Technical School , and has been a TV comedian since the late 1980s. Jodie Stimpson , the British triathlete was born in Oldbury in 1989 and attended Warley High School . She won Gold in the Individual and Team Relay Triathlon at

2432-469: The commercial radio station Free Radio moved its local operations for the Black Country and Shropshire from Wolverhampton to new studios at Black Country House. For over thirty years, there were three railway stations in the parish with the name Oldbury; only one is still open, but under a new name. The surviving one, on the Stour Valley Line at Bromford Road, has existed since the 1850s. It

2496-534: The council due to concerns about its performance. The commissioners were withdrawn in 2024 following improvements to the way the council operated. Sandwell Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the West Midlands Combined Authority; the leader and deputy leader of the council sit on the board of the combined authority as Sandwell's representatives. There no civil parishes in

2560-401: The council met and had its main offices at West Bromwich Town Hall , which had been completed in 1875 and had been the headquarters of the old West Bromwich Borough Council prior to 1974. Additional offices were spread across several buildings, including Smethwick Council House , which had been completed in 1907 for the old Smethwick Borough Council, and had subsequently been the headquarters of

2624-403: The county and district columns. Metropolitan districts and London boroughs are also shown straddling the county and district columns. In much of the country there is also a lower tier of civil parishes . This administrative hierarchy differs from the ceremonial hierarchy . Oldbury, West Midlands Oldbury is a market town in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell , in the county of

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2688-576: The financial year 2019/20, local authorities received 22% of their funding from grants, 52% from council tax and 27% from retained business rates. In the financial year 2023/24, 51% of revenue expenditure is expected to come from UK Government grants, 31% from council tax and 15% from retained business rates. Local government can also receive some money from fees and charges for the use of services, returns and interest from investments , commercial income, fixed penalty notices and capital receipts. The Information Commissioner's Office has ruled that there

2752-703: The functions of both county and district councils and have replaced two-tier local government in some areas. The creation of these first became possible under the Local Government Act 1992 , but now takes place under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 . In the 2023/24 financial year, 33% of budgeted service expenditure across local government as a whole is set to be on education , 19% on adult social care , 13% on police , 11% on children's social care and 24% on all other services. Notably, Cornwall Council has been subject to

2816-454: The last boundary changes in 2004, the council has comprised 72 councillors representing 24 wards , with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. The council's headquarters are at the Council House on Freeth Street in the town centre of Oldbury . The building opened in 1989. Prior to 1989,

2880-532: The line closed completely other than as a freight line for Albright and Wilson. All traces of its viaduct and embankment beyond Tat Bank Road were destroyed in 1964 when the M5 motorway was built. A short stub of the line to Oldbury remained in situ but out of use. The M5 motorway runs through the town on an elevated section supported by reinforced concrete pillars. Access is from junction 2. The A4123 Birmingham to Wolverhampton dual carriageway runs just to west of

2944-502: The manorial functions dispersed. The last Lord of Oldbury Manor was Patrick Allan Fraser . Pigot and Co.'s National Commercial Directory for 1828-9 describes Oldbury as a village in Shropshire with close trade and manufacturing links to Dudley and Stourbridge. It notes the importance of the iron trade with its "considerable blast furnaces, for making pig iron" and states "there are also steel works; and coal and iron-stone abound in

3008-599: The nineteenth century. Notable figures included John Sadler (1820–1910) ('the Grand Old Man of Oldbury') and Sir Samuel Alexander Sadler . Joseph Willott, Jr. , member of the Wisconsin State Assembly , was born in Oldbury in 1855. Cornelius Whitehouse (1795–1883) inventor of lap-welded wrought iron tube was born in Oldbury. Mick Aston , archaeologist and star of the TV programme Time Team ,

3072-475: The parish had a population of 53,948. In 1974, Oldbury became part of the new Sandwell Metropolitan Borough (a merger between the county boroughs of West Bromwich and Warley), and was transferred from Worcestershire into the new West Midlands Metropolitan County. Since 1986, after the abolition of the West Midlands County Council , Sandwell effectively became a unitary authority . Sandwell Council's headquarters are in Oldbury town centre. The town has seen

3136-523: The people within government are unsure at times where powers and responsibility, and hence accountability, rest, this lack of clarity is magnified for individuals who have little knowledge or experience of the structures. This has the potential to leave individuals less likely to be able to access what they need from government, leaving them often unable to know who is responsible, and as a result are not properly able to hold their democratic representatives to account. The Committee also said that "[t]he evidence

3200-773: The relevant police force and/or fire brigade , bus franchising and spatial strategy. Lower-tier of a two-tier system. Upper-tier of a two-tier system. De facto unitary authorities since abolition of metropolitan county councils . Metropolitan county councils were abolished in 1986 and most of their functions were devolved to the metropolitan boroughs making them unitary authorities in all but name. Some combined and regional authorities may assume responsibility for policing, e.g. South Yorkshire . Some combined and regional authorities may assume responsibility for policing, e.g. Greater Manchester . In England, local authorities have three main sources of funding: UK Government grants, council tax and business rates . In

3264-478: The remaining 50% of business rate revenues according to its own judgement. It was initially planned to increase the proportion of business rates that local authorities retain to 100%, but this was indefinitely delayed in 2021. In 2022, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee said that it had "significant concerns about the current governance arrangements for England": If

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3328-527: The request of two or more local authorities. Combined authorities do not replace the local authorities in question, but can receive separate functions and funding. As of May 2022, there are 10 combined authorities covering some of England. The Secretary of State was first granted the power to create combined authorities by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 . The Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 gave

3392-513: The responsibility of the executive of a local authority, but local authorities must also have at least one overview and scrutiny committee to hold the executive to account. The London Government Act 1963 established 32 London borough councils. It also established the Greater London Council , covering the whole of Greater London , but this was later abolished by the Local Government Act 1985 . Greater London also includes

3456-599: The short-lived Warley Borough Council between 1966 and 1974. Local government in England Civil parishes are the lowest tier of local government, and primarily exist in rural and smaller urban areas. The responsibilities of parish councils are limited and generally consist of providing and maintaining public spaces and facilities. Local authorities cover the entirety of England, and are responsible for services such as education, transport, planning applications, and waste collection and disposal. In two-tier areas

3520-823: The town centre. It provides a link from the Hagley Road near Harborne, Birmingham and runs north-westerly via Causeway Green to Birchley Island (M5 junction 2) and on through Tividale to Burnt Tree Junction where it becomes the Birmingham New Road. The road took three years to complete and was opened by the Prince of Wales on 2 November 1927. Buses run from Oldbury town centre to Bearwood , Birmingham city centre , Dudley , Halesowen , Merry Hill Shopping Centre , West Bromwich and Walsall . Services are operated by National Express West Midlands and Diamond Bus . James Brindley 's original Birmingham Canal

3584-411: The value of the property on 1 April 1991. Various discounts are set out in law and exist at the discretion of billing authorities. On a yearly basis, local government bodies review and consider whether to increase or decrease the level of council tax to fund their spending plans. The level at which a local authority can increase council tax each year without holding a local referendum is regulated by

3648-476: The vicinity". Mention is made of a debtors' prison, and a court-house which held a fortnightly Court of Requests for recovery of debts not exceeding five pounds. The first branch of Lloyds Bank was opened in Oldbury in 1864. The branch was founded to serve fellow Quakers Arthur Albright and John Wilson's local chemical factory. The original building survives, but the Lloyds bank branch closed around 2005. By

3712-560: The whole of England. There are five main types of local authorities: London borough councils , two-tier county and district councils , metropolitan district councils and unitary authorities . Some local authorities have borough , city or royal borough status, but this is purely stylistic. All local authorities are made up of councillors , who represent geographical wards . There are 7,026 wards as of December 2021. Local authorities run on four year cycles and councillors may be elected all at once, by halves or by thirds; although

3776-430: The whole of the country as many urban parishes were abolished in 1974. The only specific statutory function of parish councils, which they must do, is establishing allotments . However, there are a number of other functions given by powers in the relevant legislation, which they can do, such as providing litter bins and building bus shelters . Their statutory functions are few, but they may provide other services with

3840-490: Was also an organist, composer and author, becoming well known for his recorder compositions. Jack Judge (1872–1938), the songwriter and music-hall entertainer best remembered for writing the song " It's a Long Way to Tipperary ", was born in Oldbury. Jack Judge House, built in 2010 on Halesowen Street, housed Oldbury library until 2021 and is home to the Black Country Coroner's Court. In his early years,

3904-671: Was born in Oldbury and attended Oldbury Grammar School . Martin Elliott (1946–2010), the photographer best known for the iconic poster " Tennis Girl ", was born in Oldbury and attended Oldbury Grammar School . Oldbury is the birthplace of Sir John Frederick Bridge , who was a famous organist, composer and author. He was known as "Westminster Bridge" because of his long stint as organist at Westminster Abbey (1882–1919). He composed special music for Queen Victoria's Jubilee and King Edward VII's coronation, in addition to other choral, instrumental and organ music. His brother Joseph Cox Bridge

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3968-403: Was built next to the town's ring road in the mid-1990s. Homebase relocated there from its 1980s purpose-built store, which Gala Bingo subsequently took over. Due to the socio-economics of Sandwell, the area has a number of social housing organisations such as Black Country Housing Group which has been operating in Sandwell since its relocation from Birmingham in the 1980s. In October 2013,

4032-606: Was cut south of Oldbury town centre in 1768. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central . Television signals are received from the Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio WM , BBC Radio Shropshire can also be received, Heart West Midlands , Smooth West Midlands , Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire , Greatest Hits Radio Birmingham & The West Midlands , Greatest Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire and Black Country Radio,

4096-592: Was originally called Oldbury & Bromford Lane, then Oldbury, and since 1984, Sandwell & Dudley . The second nearest railway station to the centre of Oldbury is Langley Green on the Stourbridge Extension Line, now the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line . It opened in April 1867 and was originally called Langley Green & Rood End, until a short half-mile long branch line,

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