Topic: Announcement

This January, Sandwell Council in partnership with Randox Health is helping Sandwell residents get the best possible start to the year by providing diagnostic NHS health checks. 

The health checks include testing for diabetes, heart and kidney disease, and hypertension. Sandwell Council and partners will offer them to residents aged between 40 and 74 (who have not previously suffered coronary heart disease, strokes, diabetes, or kidney disease).

Over the next few weeks those eligible will receive letters inviting them to the twenty-minute NHS health check. Look out for the joint branding from Randox, Healthy Sandwell and the NHS.

The tests and clinics will take place in Sandwell and, if convenient, in Birmingham. At the Birmingham clinic, people can have additional free body composition analysis health checks. GPs will receive the results for review and inclusion on patient medical records.

The testing programme will enable prevention and mitigation through the early identification of serious illnesses. It will also allow lifestyle modification on issues including smoking, alcohol, and weight management. 

The partnership between Sandwell Council and Randox Health also includes a limited number of free three-month gym memberships.

Let’s all stay fit and healthy in 2024

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for adults, social care and health Councillor Suzanne Hartwell said: “The good health of our residents has always been a priority for the Council. This initiative will have a significant and beneficial impact on the health and longevity of thousands of people living in the area. It will enable those at high risk to take medical and lifestyle steps to prevent illnesses which could, if not detected early, shorten, or change lives.”

David Ferguson is the chief operating officer for Randox Health. David said: “Randox is delighted to be part of this joint initiative with Sandwell Council’s public health team. It has long been our belief that early diagnostic health testing delivers better outcomes for individuals. It relieves the pressure on our NHS by enabling lifestyle change and medical intervention. This, in turn, prevents or mitigates illnesses which would otherwise require intense long-term treatment.”

To check your eligibility and book an appointment visit the Randox website.

Just to let you know: Sandwell Council will be carrying out essential road maintenance work on Dudley Street bridge in West Bromwich between Wednesday 3 January and Sunday 5 May.

The road maintenance works involve partial demolition of the outer edges of the bridge deck and their reconstruction. To keep disruption to a minimum, Sandwell Council has planned the work to the bridge to coordinate with planned stoppages on the Metro.

Once completed, the bridge will be able to carry full highway traffic. The existing eighteen-tonne weight limit on the bridge will be removed.  

Various closures and diversions will be necessary while the road works take place including: 

• Temporary traffic signals and lane closures on Dudley Street from Wednesday 3 January 
• A full road closure of Dudley Street from Monday 19 February to Sunday 5 May 
• The closure of Jervoise Street at the junction with Dudley Street between Monday 4 March and Friday March

Pedestrians will be able to access to frontages throughout the work. Clearly signed diversion routes will be in place. 

The diversion routes for the closures are short. The Dudley Street closure will put additional traffic onto the A41 between the Swan and Albion roundabouts. The closure of Jervoise Street will put additional vehicular traffic onto Coppice Street and Claypit Lane.

Go to Sandwell Council’s page for the latest on road maintenance works in Sandwell.

A regeneration project for Grove Lane in Smethwick has provisionally been awarded £18m in government Levelling Up Funding.

The government has identified the Grove Lane project in Smethwick as one of 55 successfully proposed projects nationally. It has provisionally awarded the project £18,063,128 from Round 3 of the Levelling Up Fund.

In line with the Levelling Up Fund Round 2 submission, the funding will be used for land acquisitions to enable new housing around the Midlands Metropolitan University Hospital. It will also support the delivery of the Grove Lane Masterplan which Sandwell Council’s Cabinet approved in February 2022.

Funding methodology

In deciding the funding methodology for Round 3, government ministers had three primary objectives:

1. To prioritise places assessed as ‘in need’ according to metrics set out in the Levelling Up White Paper

2. To ensure a fair geographic spread so the Fund can benefit all areas of the country across its lifetime

3. To support the ‘pride in place and transport’ Levelling Up missions by focusing predominantly on regeneration and transport projects. (Please note that a smaller share of funding is going to transport projects this time compared to previous rounds, given recent wider government investment in local transport.)

The funding award is provisional and subject to project validation, subsidy control checks, and departmental sign-off. Sandwell Officers will be working through this assurance process with government civil servants.

Here in the West Midlands, Dudley Council and City of Wolverhampton Council also made successful bids in Round 3 of the Levelling Up Fund.

Sandwell Council is carrying out further consultation with the public on how to make savings to its budget over the coming years. As a Sandwell-based business representative, don’t forget to have your say in the online survey.

Sandwell Council held an initial budget consultation earlier this year. Now it is inviting residents, businesses and voluntary organisations to take part in a further consultation on areas where the council can save money.

Sandwell Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, Councillor Bob Piper said: “The council is facing similar pressure to residents from inflation and rising costs. The cost of living emergency is also creating more demand for some council services. This means that we need to make difficult decisions when the council sets its budget.

Making choices about delivering services

“We currently spend around £317 million each year on our day-to-day services, such as bin collections, street cleansing, running libraries and leisure centres. And around 60 per cent of our budget funds vital services for adult social care and looking after vulnerable children. We must meet our legal requirements, but we can make choices in how we deliver some of these services.

“Sandwell is no different to other councils – we all face significant financial pressures. Although we are in a fortunate position to have options to achieve a balanced budget, this still means we need to make difficult decisions. We need to use our limited resources as efficiently as we can, which means we have to work even harder to continue to deliver services and make the money go further for the years ahead.

“In the past two years, the council has worked hard to make savings of over £30 million.

“The council must make savings of £13 million to ensure we can balance our budget for the next financial year (2024/25). The majority of these savings must be sustainable – so we can continue make these savings over the coming years, not just next year.”

Understanding residents’ priorities

The council’s initial 2024/25 budget consultation, that took place over the summer, saw residents rank their priorities for how the council could achieve savings or increase income, as follows:

• Selling or developing council buildings
• Stopping or reducing non-essential services
• Charging more for some paid-for services
• Introducing more charging for non-essential services
• Increasing council tax.

This further consultation will ask more questions about the areas where Sandwell Council can make savings.

Councillor Piper added: “It’s important to us that we consult residents on how the council makes these vital savings. When the consultation closes, we will consider the responses we receive and bring a further report back to the council’s cabinet, before setting the council’s budget in early 2024. The council’s budget will, of course, be influenced by the chancellor’s autumn statement in late November and the Local Government Finance Settlement later in the year.”

The consultation closes on Tuesday 2 January 2024.

Sandwell Council’s planning regeneration team leader, Joshua Singh, has won the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)’s national Young Planner of the Year 2023 award.

Josh received the Young Planner of the Year award last week at the RTPI’s Awards for Planning Excellence.

This national award follows Josh winning the West Midlands Young Planner of the Year in June this year. He was recognised for his commitment to making a difference to Sandwell’s residents and businesses. He was also commended for promoting career opportunities in planning to the region’s young people.

Awards for Planning Excellence

At the recent awards the judges commended Josh’s “outstanding commitment and passion”. They added: “As a role model for future young planners, he will benefit the profession and the communities he works within.”

More recently, Josh was part of the team that secured £67.5m of government Towns Fund investment for Sandwell. He lead specifically on the West Bromwich Town Investment Plan. This resulted in West Bromwich securing £25m of funding for six town centre projects.

Josh joined Sandwell Council in 2010. He worked in several planning areas before securing a permanent position in the planning regeneration team in 2015. He has helped to deliver multiple regeneration projects that have benefited the borough. These include leading on a council programme to tackle ‘grot spots’.

The projects ranged from high street upgrades to sustainable transport, with Josh leading on the Urban Greening programme across the town centre.

Making a difference in Sandwell

In addition to these projects, Josh champions engagement with local schools. He works with the council’s employment team to bring career sessions with professional businesses into primary schools.

He has also helped to establish an educational outreach programme to engage with local college students. His aim is to explain what a career in planning might entail.

Josh said: “I’m extremely proud to have won this award and to have this opportunity to represent young planners from the West Midlands region and across the United Kingdom.

“Working in Sandwell for the past fourteen years and raising a young family as a resident of the borough has made me passionate about delivering regeneration and positive transformation for local communities, residents, businesses and young people across the area.

“Winning this award gives me a platform to share this passion and experience. To put Sandwell on the national and international planning stage, showcasing the influential work we’re doing to raise ambitions and create a new story for Sandwell through regeneration and growth.

“I am very fortunate that Sandwell Council has recognised and supported my career, from starting on the main reception through to leading the council’s planning regeneration team. I have a fantastic team around me, and I thank the team of managers who put me forward for this award. Especially Jenna Langford whose footsteps I am following, as a previous recipient of this award in 2019. Two National Young Planners of the Year from Sandwell – we’re obviously doing something right!”

Support from Sandwell Council

Chief Executive of Sandwell Council, Shokat Lal, added: “Josh’s incredible achievement is well-deserved and testimony to his dedication to the people of Sandwell. It is wonderful that the council has been able to support him throughout his career.

“Josh also personifies the vision and ambition for the council and Sandwell as a thriving borough on a journey towards excellence. Josh is a credit to Sandwell, and we couldn’t be more proud of him.”

To find out more about regeneration projects across Sandwell visit www.regeneratingsandwell.co.uk.

The Sandwell Local Plan is a document that plans for the future development of our borough. Sandwell Council would like to know your thoughts on the draft.

In the Sandwell Local Plan, Sandwell Council outlines where it expects to build the new homes we need up to 2041. It shows what land is required to accommodate new jobs.

Sandwell Council is holding a consultation so you can have your say on the sites it has proposed for development. Give your feedback on where development should or shouldn’t take place in Sandwell.

Sandwell Council has identified enough land to build more than 11,000 new homes by 2041. However, this isn’t enough to meet the expected housing needs of our growing population. Around 97 per cent of these homes will be built on previously developed or brownfield land. The Sandwell Local Plan protects the Green Belt and does not propose any new development within it.

The Sandwell Local Plan also sets out how we will address challenges like dealing with climate change, protecting our natural environment, supporting our high streets, and encouraging sustainable travel. It includes policies that will help the council to meet its target to be a carbon-neutral borough by 2041.

Have your say

Don’t miss your chance to have a say!

The consultation is now live and will end on Monday 18 December at 5pm.

All of Sandwell libraries have paper copies of the consultation documents and summary document, if you prefer to access it that way.

Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Peter Hughes, said:

“I would encourage all Sandwell residents and businesses to look at the draft plan and let us have their views on it. This is about our borough’s future so the more people get involved, the better the outcome for all.”

If you have issues accessing the consultation documents, or would like to arrange to speak to a Planning Policy Officer, email Sandwell_LocalPlan@sandwell.gov.uk or call 0121 569 4054.

This week, Sandwell Council welcomed six delegates from Hangzhou in China.

Our guests came as part of a wider four-day, self-funded research trip to the UK. They visited Sandwell to see how a UK local authority functions and how it provides social services for residents. As deputy directors for municipal departments looking after veterans’ services, they especially wanted to learn about veteran welfare services in our area.

In turn, we were keen to build on our established relationship with our Hangzhou visitors’ region of China. We are always looking to raise Sandwell’s international profile and explore further ways to establish cultural, economic and academic links between here and the rest of the world.

About Hangzhou, China  

Near to Shanghai, Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province. It borders the Yangtze River and has hills to the west.

The Hangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone became a national development zone in 1993. It has five pillar industries: machinery and electronics, biology and pharmaceutical, high-tech chemistry, textile and chemical fibre, and food processing.

The visit to Sandwell

The Sandwell Business Growth Team was responsible for hosting our guests’ visit to Sandwell Council. In preparation, we engaged with partner organisations Black Country Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Defence, as well as our council colleagues involved with homes, communities and public health. We also carried out fact funding into local support for ex-force personnel and veterans, to help our visitors get useful information from their visit.

Xu Huashui, Wang Jiang, Xu Jianxiang, Lu Qiliang, Liu Hongyin and Lan Hongxing came to see us at Sandwell Council House on Tuesday 24 October. We hosted them in the Mayor’s Parlour where Shokat Lal, chief executive of Sandwell Council, held a welcome speech. Jenna Langford, our Regeneration Manager, was among the people to make a presentation. She focused on Sandwell Council’s business support, our borough’s regeneration pipeline, and inward investment. We also heard from representatives from the Armed Forces Covenant and Stepway, organisations supporting military veterans in civilian life.

Previous visits from China: a timeline

2015: Sandwell Council welcomed its first Chinese delegation from Pengzhou City.

2016: We had our first visit from delegates from the city of Jinhua. Jinhua Municipal People’s Government Mayor, Ji Junmin, and the Leader of Sandwell Council signed a Friendship Agreement. This is to promote friendly exchanges between the two regions and an exchange of cooperation in economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education, sports, health and personnel for the good of common prosperity and development.

2017: In May 2017, delegates from the Shanghai municipal government made a visit to the borough.

2018: In 2018 we had a return visit from the city of Jinhua to strengthen our business and friendship links.

2019: In July 2019, Sandwell hosted a visit from two Jinhua schools. St Michael’s CE School in Rowley Regis and one of our Q3 Academies welcomed school children and their teachers. They enjoyed activities together that included a visit to Ingestre Hall Residential Arts Centre and Sandwell Valley Park Farm.

[Feature picture: Xu Huashui from Hangzhou exchanges cultural gifts with Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Leader of Sandwell Council.]

Our new co-working environment in Oldbury is open. The Sandwell Start-Up Hub is a spacious, welcoming place for local entrepreneurs and businesses to network, plan, collaborate and learn.

The Sandwell Start-Up Hub is on the top floor of Jack Judge House in Oldbury, opposite Sandwell Council House. Our aim is to help small local businesses on their journey to success by providing an open-plan office with 60 workstations, collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, event space and free WiFi.

The Sandwell Start-Up Hub is a co-working environment where entrepreneurs and business owners can collaborate, network, and receive advice and support from the Sandwell Business Growth Team and partner organisations. More on that support soon!  

Within the Sandwell Start-Up Hub are three areas:

• Collaboration Zone: for networking and collaborating
• Quiet Zone: for focused work
• Event Zone: hosting informative sessions by business support organisations on various topics.

“Get inspiration and share knowledge”

Carlene Taylor and Nasteha Isak are the founders of We Are Able CIC, helping parents and carers of children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities with impartial guidance and advocacy services. Carlene and Nasteha attended the launch event at the Sandwell Start-Up Hub on Tuesday 26 September. They had accessed support from Sandwell Council’s Business Growth Team earlier in the year.

Nasteha said: “We are really looking forward to taking advantage of the resources and support on offer here. It’s incredible that we get the chance to have somewhere where we can work from, rather than having to use our homes, and we can get inspiration and share knowledge with other people while we’re here.”

Sandwell, the home of start-ups

Councillor Peter Hughes is Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and West Midlands Combined Authority. He said: “The Sandwell Start-Up Hub will be more than just a workspace. It is the Business Growth Team’s plan to create a community of businesspeople who can collaborate, network and learn from one another – as well as from guest organisations delivering useful business workshops and talks.

“One of Sandwell Council’s priorities is to promote inclusive growth that raises people and communities up alongside thriving businesses. The Sandwell Start-Up Hub offers a physical space in which that success can be incubated. With this innovative new Hub, Sandwell will truly become the ‘Home of Start-ups’ for the West Midlands, where entrepreneurs from all sectors are welcome.”

The Sandwell Start-Up Hub will be free for local businesses and entrepreneurs to access until September 2024.

Pictured left to right: Nasteha Isak of We Are Able CIC, Helen Peach from Sandwell Council’s Business Growth Team, and Carlene Taylor of We Are Able CIC.

Every October, Black History Month is a great time to celebrate the invaluable contributions of black people to British society.

In 2023, the theme is ‘Saluting our Sisters’ – honouring in particular black women and their crucial role in shaping history, inspiring change, and building communities. At Sandwell Business Growth, we want to hear and share your stories.

As the official Black History Month website states: “Black people have always been at the forefront of social justice movements, fighting against oppression and paving the way for change. However, despite their countless contributions to society, the achievements of black women, in particular, have too often been overlooked or forgotten. That is why, this year, we will be celebrating the exceptional achievements of black women”.

The ‘Saluting our Sisters’ celebrations in October will showcase black women who have made huge contributions to the world: literature, music, fashion, sport, business, politics, academia, social and health care, and more.

So we want to do the same here at Sandwell Business Growth. We are keen to celebrate in particular the achievements of black women business owners and entrepreneurs in our borough.

Celebrating Black History Month in Sandwell

Calling black businesswomen in Sandwell: do tell us if you’d like us to share your stories and successes. We are always looking to celebrate your business and tell people about the brilliant things you do. Drop us a line with your latest updates. Or complete our ‘Made in Sandwell’ form to have your own business profile here on the Sandwell Business Growth website. You can do this any time of year, of course – not just for Black History Month.

Take a look at Black History Month events happening in the West Midlands.

Engaging with black history all year round

The Black Curriculum empowers young people and educators to engage with Black British history 365 days a year. Have a look at the Black Curriculum website and join the movement.