Sandwell
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough was formed in 1974, is situated between Birmingham, Walsall and Dudley and comprises six towns, Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich.
Environment and Transportation: Sandwell has an area of 8,600ha. The M5 / M6 intersection places Sandwell at the centre of the motorway network meaning there are heavy volumes of traffic crossing the borough. The West Coast Main Rail Line also passes through the borough. Although heavily urbanised, with an extensive network of canals, Sandwell has a high proportion of its area given to parks and open spaces including Sandwell Valley and Rowley Hills.
Population: Sandwell has a population of 291,000 (June 2009). The population of the area fell considerably from the late 1960s until the early 2000s, however this trend has now been reversed and a small population growth is apparent. It is projected to rise by 1,500 per year to 2033.
Ethnicity: Sandwell is an ethnically diverse borough. In the ten years between 1991 and 2001, the black and minority population increased by 6% to 20%. This was estimated to have increased to 23% by 2007, with the rate of growth being most pronounced amongst the South Asian communities.
Health: In absolute terms, health in Sandwell has been improving over time, though at a slower rate than the country as a whole. Life expectancy in Sandwell is 74.3 years for men and 80.0 for women, compared to the national figures of 77.9 and 82.0 years respectively (3 year rolling average 2006/08).
Economy: Sandwell has a wide range of industrial, manufacturing and service industries. Many areas built up since the Industrial Revolution have been the focus for a series of regeneration initiatives over recent decades. In Sandwell (November 2010) 12,136 people claimed Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), which accounts for 6.6% of the local working age population (16-64) compared to 4.4% (West Midlands) and 3.5% (Great Britain).
Housing: In March 2009, Sandwell had approximately 126,000 dwellings of which 24% were council housing, 5% registered social housing and 71% in the private sector. This compared to the local authority averages across England of 8%, 10% and 82% respectively.