WEST MIDLANDS FORGOTTEN TOWNS

The Stirrer's blog for Sunday

03-09-2006

West Brom is about to get a multi-million pound revamp - but the news hasn't gone down well in other parts of Sandwell which residents says are ignored. So does the West Midlands really have forgotten towns?

Talk to folk from Tipton and Wednesbury, and they definitely think so.

They'll tell you that the northern part of Sandwell comes off worse than Smethwick, Oldbury and West Bromwich in the south.

When Tipton's swimming baths were closed for example, only a long-running and determined campaign by local residents got them re-opened.

The town's pride took another battering recently when it's Victorian police station - a building of real distinction - was demolished.

It all feeds into sense of resentment and bitterness that is echoed just a couple of miles away in Wednesbury.

There, another wonderful Victorian relic Brunswick Park has recently had its bandstand refurbished after a series of arson attacks.

Again, though it was grass roots campaigners who had to fight their corner rather than council leaders demanding improvements.

All too often you hear the complaint - the powers that be just don't care about us.

There's a similar refrain next door in Birmingham.

Areas of inner city decay and deprivation - notably Aston - have attractedmassive regeneration grants, leaving many in the outer suburbs (who are also battling crime, vandalism and decay) feeling neglected.

Vast estates in places like Kingstanding, Weoley Castle and Kings Norton might not have the high levels of gun crime associated with the inner city - but unemployment, despair, and anti-social behaviour are rife here too.

There are also complaints from residents in posh parts of the city like Harborne and Sutton Coldfield that although they contribute the most in council tax, they receive the least in services and amenities - and anyone who's used Harborne's crumbling swimming pool might be tempted to agree.

It's tempting to blame the leaders of these respective councils and accuse them of ignoring areas which don't support them politically.

Maybe there's a grain of truth in that too.

Labour-run Sandwell might not be expected to favour Wednesbury which has three Tory councillors.

Brum's Tory and LibDem coalition might not be bothered about currying favour in traditionally staunch socialist strongholds.

But my feeling is that it runs deeper than that.

In Bilston, once an independent council, there are complaints that Wolverhampton is too remote - even though it's only a few miles down the road.

Likewise Bloxwich feels cut off from Walsall.

There are simply too many people in too many parts of this region who feel disconnected from authority for the fault to lie with local politicians alone.

Now we hear that the West Midlands is negotiating with the government for “city region” status.

Joined-up planning for roads, rail and other major infrastructure projects certainly makes sense.

But we've already been down the route of "big government" before, and we didn't much like it.

Andtaking decision-making further away from the people, not moving it closer to them is only likely to increase the sense of alienation already eating away at our disparate communities.

Do you live a forgotten West Midlands town? Who do you hold responsible? And what can be done about it?