Rachel Alexander

A £20 million, 10-year regeneration plan for Darlaston has been approved under the government’s Pride in Place programme, but resident campaigner Alison Humpage says it lacks detail about how the money will be spent and does not provide sufficient resident representation or financial transparency. The plan covers safety, streets, the town centre, green spaces, health, transport, skills and community provision. Board chairman Manjit Jhooty says residents helped shape the priorities and will continue to influence specific projects through advisory groups and other engagement opportunities.

Residents have launched a petition opposing the possible sale of Darlaston Sports and Social Club, a Walsall Council-owned building that closed before Christmas after its lease ended. They fear losing both a valued community facility and the car park used by a nearby primary school during drop-off and collection times. Campaigner Andrew Barrington says the deteriorating property could be renovated as a social hub using part of Darlaston’s £20 million regeneration funding, while criticizing the council for providing little information. Walsall Council says it is assessing future options, including the community and school-parking interests, before deciding how to proceed.

Walsall councillor Rose Martin has urged the council to cut long grass near homes in Pelsall, Aldridge and Brownhills amid dry conditions and fears that overgrown areas could fuel wildfires. Residents reported very tall grass and a recent fire on North Common, while Martin warned that peat beneath parts of the common could make fires particularly serious. She also called for a reporting number for high-risk areas and action against private landowners where necessary.

Walsall Council is preparing to serve an enforcement notice on The Bridge Tavern in Willenhall after its upper floor was converted into multiple residential units without planning permission. The council inspected the site in June after concerns that it had become a house in multiple occupation, but determined that the unauthorised works constituted a planning breach and could require the flats to be removed. The pub closed in 2023, and earlier proposals to turn it into a convenience store and later an Indian restaurant were withdrawn or refused.

Two fires broke out in Willenhall at Stonehouse Avenue and Harry Perks Street, destroying at least three homes and several gardens and forcing some residents to evacuate. Councillor Simran Cheema praised residents for using hosepipes and helping contain the first blaze while awaiting fire crews, and urged the community to avoid activities that could cause further fires. Walsall Council provided emergency liaison, a rest centre, road closures and building-control support, while the causes of the fires remained unconfirmed.

A government planning inspector has rejected Sainsbury’s appeal to build a single-storey convenience store on part of the Farmer John’s pub car park in Streetly. Although the proposal offered 20 jobs, an energy-efficient building and biodiversity benefits, the inspector found it constituted inappropriate green-belt development and that no very special circumstances justified it. The decision is the second refusal for Sainsbury’s plans at the site, following an earlier Walsall Council rejection and unsuccessful appeal.

Residents in Blakenall South, a neighbourhood covering parts of Blakenall, Harden and Goscote in Walsall, are being invited to share their views on how up to £20 million in government funding should be spent over the next decade. The area is one of 169 neighbourhoods selected for the Pride in Place programme. A resident-led neighbourhood board will oversee priorities, and applications are open until August 18 for an independent chair to lead it. Walsall and Bloxwich MP Valerie Vaz welcomed the investment and urged local people to contribute ideas and consider applying for the chair role.

Demolition has begun on two buildings beside Butler’s Passage in Walsall town centre as part of the £11.4 million Connected Gateway regeneration scheme. The cleared site will eventually become a public plaza, replacing an unsafe narrow walkway and improving links between the railway station, Saddlers Centre and St Paul’s Bus Station. Heritage features have been removed for storage, Butler’s Passage is expected to reopen with a temporary surface by the end of September, and the wider project is due to finish in 2027. Walsall Council, Kier Construction, local residents and businesses broadly support the scheme, while acknowledging temporary disruption.

All Reform UK councillors and one former Reform member on Walsall Council voted against an amendment stating that man-made climate change exists, as the council moved to scrap its net zero targets. Local Democracy Reporting Service enquiries received replies only from council leader Elaine Williams and deputy leader Nicky Barker, neither of whom directly confirmed their views on human-caused climate change. Barker opposed what he called costly and unrealistic net zero targets, advocating cleaner streets and rivers, protected green spaces and tree planting instead. Walsall Community Independents leader Aftab Nawaz criticised Reform UK, arguing that the scientific evidence for human-caused climate change is overwhelming.

Walsall Council voted to remove its 2019 climate emergency declaration, with Reform leaders describing the pledge as performative and ineffective for local taxpayers. Climate Emergency UK criticised the decision as hypocritical and warned that climate targets should be strengthened rather than abandoned during severe heatwaves and wildfires. The group said Walsall had scored only 23% in its local-authority climate action audit, while Councillor Elaine Williams argued that practical improvements for residents mattered more than retaining the declaration.

Walsall Council’s planning committee has approved the full application for the first phase of the Willenhall Masterplan, converting five derelict brownfield sites in Temple Bar, Moat Street, Cemetery Road, Villiers Street and New Hall Street into 109 homes. The scheme includes 25% affordable housing and contributions toward education, healthcare and open space. Former lock-making factories in the area had become derelict and associated with arson and antisocial behaviour. Two businesses, Winfield Industrial Services and SJS Engineering, were required to leave after compulsory purchase powers were granted, despite acknowledged employment losses. Developer Keepmoat described the project as a major regeneration opportunity.

Walsall councillor Bella Simon has left the Reform UK group and will serve as an independent, although she says the decision was not hers and that the full truth will eventually emerge. She has not explained the circumstances or spoken to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Simon was elected for Short Heath in May 2026 and says she remains committed to Reform’s values and to representing residents. She is the second Walsall Reform councillor to leave since the party took control, following Robin Perry’s departure over a discrimination dispute, but Reform retains a majority of 38 of the council’s 60 seats.

Campaigners are urging the Planning Inspectorate to hold a public inquiry into an appeal concerning plans for two five-bedroom homes on Barr Lakes Lane, Walsall. Walsall Council planning officers had recommended refusal, but its planning committee approved the application in June 2023 despite widespread objections and legal challenges. Applicant Shahzad Akram has since appealed on grounds of non-determination because the council never formally issued its decision. The appeal is currently under consultation until August 11, after which an inspector will decide whether it proceeds through written representations or a public inquiry.

Walsall Council’s planning committee is due to decide on a major redevelopment of Willenhall’s Locksmith Quarter covering Temple Bar, Moat Street, Cemetery Road, Villiers Street and New Hall Street. If approved, Keepmoat would build 109 homes with two parking spaces per property, alongside contributions to education, healthcare and open space. The largely cleared site had become derelict and associated with arson and antisocial behaviour. Archaeological officers have recommended an evaluation because the Moat Street site may contain remains linked to the historic Leveson family estate.

A Darlaston resident is urging the newly elected Reform-led council to re-examine the town’s board responsible for allocating £20 million in government funding amid complaints about poor community engagement and limited resident representation. Concerns highlighted include transparency issues, disputed board membership rules, and fears that business leaders outweigh resident voices. Previous motions have called for residents to lead decision-making, and Reform UK has pledged to audit spending and seek democratic elections for board positions. The matter will be discussed at the next full council meeting on July 27 at Walsall Council House.

Reform UK leaders controlling Walsall Council plan to rescind the authority’s 2019 climate emergency declaration and abandon its net-zero targets at the upcoming July 27 meeting. Council leader Elaine Williams and deputy leader Nicky Barker argue the declaration was performative and that resources should shift toward practical, local interventions. Their motion also calls for reviewing spending and policies linked to net‑zero commitments. With a large Reform majority, the proposal is expected to pass.

Councillors in Walsall face growing pressure to clarify their stance on the proposed Windsor Apollo Academy, a £50 million school planned for Reedswood Park that would remove 13.7 acres of woodland. Ecological surveys revealed extensive wildlife, while residents object to the loss of green space, traffic concerns and the selected access route. Ahead of a full council meeting, local campaigners and opposition leaders have submitted questions and a motion challenging the plan, urging the Reform-led administration to honour its pre-election opposition to the project. The Department for Education maintains funding applies only to a new school, with a decision on planning permission expected in September 2026.

Walsall Council is preparing to approve a new version of its Local Plan that releases several green belt and newly reclassified grey belt sites for housing to help meet a government target of 20,000 new homes by 2042. Despite significant public objections, most major proposed sites remain in the plan except Black Cock Farm, which has been removed. Four additional grey belt sites have been added. If approved, the plan will enter a six‑week consultation before final submission to the Secretary of State by the end of 2026, with the council warning that missing the deadline risks losing planning appeals and failing to meet housing needs.

Walsall councillors split over a proposal to relocate around 5,000 Palfrey Health Centre patients to a new medical hub in the Saddlers Centre, following concerns about the existing building’s deteriorating condition and limited space. The NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board argued the move would expand clinical capacity and services, but local representatives highlighted deprivation, travel barriers, safety concerns and potential loss of accessible healthcare provision in Palfrey. A tied committee vote resulted in the chairman casting the deciding vote to reject a motion supporting keeping the centre within the local area.

Residents in Great Barr oppose a proposed 850‑home development on 42 hectares of green belt land, citing traffic, environmental loss and pressure on local infrastructure. The site has been allocated for housing in Walsall Council’s draft local plan despite being within a conservation area. Residents criticised shifting political messages on green belt protection, while the council said the application remains under assessment. The developers maintain the site has been identified as suitable for housing in previous planning strategies.

West Midlands Police and the Home Office are seeking to revoke the licence of Dera restaurant in Walsall after two immigration enforcement visits in which workers were found to be breaching visa conditions. The second incident led to an unpaid £45,000 fine and is cited as evidence of ongoing noncompliance despite earlier warnings. Licence holder Talat Jalil admits hiring one worker improperly, citing poor health at the time, and has initiated a licence transfer to Ifrah Sabir. Walsall Council’s licensing committee will determine on July 15 whether to revoke, suspend, or modify the licence.

A newly elected Reform UK councillor in Walsall, Carl Creaney, was arrested on June 23 following a report of stalking. He denies wrongdoing and says he has nothing to hide while the police investigation continues. Neither Walsall Council nor Reform UK has taken action against him, and both police and council representatives declined further comment. Creaney previously served as a Labour councillor before winning his seat in New Invention as a Reform candidate in the 2026 elections.

A vacant and vandalised Walsall Wood pub, the Black Cock Inn, may be demolished to make way for 13 new homes under plans submitted to Walsall Council. Developer CCCD Developments Limited proposes a mix of two- and three-bedroom properties with multiple access points and parking. A heritage consultant cites sector instability since the credit crunch, Brexit and the pandemic as contributing to the pub’s decline. The building is not listed, and part of the site lies within the green belt. The planning agent argues the scheme would provide supported living accommodation, boost local activity and enhance the area’s appearance.

Costs for the redevelopment of York’s Bridge on Norton Road in Pelsall totaled £7.37 million, with £4.4 million funded by external transport grants and the remainder by Walsall Council. The project replaced the outdated 19th‑century structure to meet modern transport needs, relieve bottlenecks, and divert heavy traffic from the historic bridge. Work included environmental protections such as relocating protected great crested newts. The new two‑way bridge opened to the public on April 2, 2026, with expected long‑term benefits for local connectivity.