Walsall Council

History

The town of Walsall was an ancient borough. It also had a mayor from at least 1377. The town's claim to be a borough was not supported by a charter, leading to disputes with the lord of the manor. A formal charter was eventually issued in 1627. The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. It was then governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Walsall', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council.

When elected county councils were established in 1889, Walsall was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it became a county borough, independent from the new Staffordshire County Council, whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Staffordshire. The borough was enlarged in 1966 to take in Darlaston and Willenhall.

The modern metropolitan borough and its council were established in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, as one of seven boroughs in the new metropolitan county of the West Midlands. The new borough covered the combined area of the old county borough of Walsall plus the neighbouring Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District. The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Walsall's series of mayors dating back to the fourteenth century. The council styles itself Walsall Council rather than its full formal name of Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council.

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 Walsall, with some services provided through joint committees.

Since 2016 the council has been 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 Walsall Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.

Governance

Walsall Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the West Midlands Combined Authority; the council appoints two of its councillors to sit on the board of the combined authority as Walsall's representatives. There are no civil parishes in the borough.

Political control

The Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council since 2019.

Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Walsall. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1980 have been:

Composition

Following the 2024 election and subsequent changes of allegiance up to January 2026, the composition of the council was:

The next election is due in May 2026.

Premises

The council meets at the Council House on Lichfield Street, which had been completed in 1905 for the old borough council. It replaced the earlier Guildhall on High Street, which had been built in 1867 on a site which had been occupied by the town's guildhall from the fifteenth century. The council's main offices are in the Civic Centre on Darwall Street, which is linked to the Council House by a bridge over Darwall Street.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2004, the council has comprised 60 councillors representing 20 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) being elected each time for a four-year term of office.

Wards

The wards are:

Notes

References

References

1. (20 May 2025). "Councillor Louise Harrison elected Mayor of Walsall for 2025–26".
2. "Emma Bennett, Chief Executive biography".
3. "History of the Mayor".
4. (1835). "Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Appendix 3".
5. (1835). "Municipal Corporations Act".
6. "Walsall Municipal Borough / County Borough". GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth.
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8. (28 March 1974). "District Councils and Boroughs".
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17. (16 May 1980). "Power-politics!". Walsall Observer.
18. (29 May 1982). "The axe starts to swing". Walsall Observer.
19. (21 May 1982). "Top of the chops". Walsall Observer.
20. (16 October 1982). "The "absurd" game". Sports Argus.
21. (29 December 1982). "Talks on bid to freeze rates". Wolverhampton Express and Star.
22. (30 April 1986). "Battling - but outright win is unlikely". Sandwell Evening Mail.
23. (2 May 1986). "Nightmare of the bad old days". Walsall Observer.
24. (27 June 1986). "'Boss' Bert steps down". Walsall Observer.
25. (30 May 1986). "'Arrogant' jibe at new mayor's role". Walsall Observer.
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27. (9 July 1988). "Labour job for edge". Sandwell Evening Mail.
28. (5 April 1990). "Labour's new boss". Walsall Observer.
29. (22 May 1992). "Leader of council stays". Walsall Observer.
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31. (12 May 1995). "Landslide victory for Labour group". Walsall Chronicle.
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34. (26 January 1996). "'No policies' new leader under fire". Walsall Chronicle.
35. (4 December 1998). "Council leader dies after illness". Walsall Chronicle.
36. (29 January 1999). "Confirmed as council leader". Walsall Chronicle.
37. (14 May 1999). "Unanimous party elect new leader". Wolverhampton Express and Star.
38. (26 May 2000). "Council decide on committee chairmen". Walsall Chronicle.
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40. "Cabinet minutes, 18 April 2007".
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48. "Council minutes, 23–25 May 2016".
49. (23 May 2018). "Conservatives officially back in control of Walsall Council". Express and Star.
50. (8 May 2024). "Council leader suspended by Tories after disciplinary". [[BBC News]].
51. (8 May 2024). "Conservative Party suspends Walsall council leader following investigation". [[Birmingham Live]].
52. (4 June 2024). "New Leader for Walsall Council". Walsall Council.
53. (4 June 2024). "Council elects new leader after Tory suspension". BBC News.
54. (21 May 2025). "Council leader resigns over 'political attrition'". BBC News.
55. (11 June 2025). "Former council leader returns to top job". BBC News.
56. "Open Council Data UK - compositions councillors parties wards elections emails".
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63. "Area: Aldridge North and Walsall Wood (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
64. "Area: Bentley and Darlaston North (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
65. "Area: Birchills Leamore (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
66. "Area: Blakenall (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
67. "Area: Bloxwich East (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
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70. "Area: Darlaston South (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
71. "Area: Paddock (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
72. "Area: Palfrey (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
73. "Area: Pelsall (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
74. "Area: Pheasey Park Farm (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
75. "Area: Pleck (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
76. "Area: Rushall – Shelfield (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
77. "Area: Short Heath (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
78. "Area: St. Matthew's (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
79. "Area: Streetly (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
80. "Area: Willenhall North (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
81. "Area: Willenhall South (Ward) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.
82. "Area: Walsall (Local Authority) Population Density (UV02)". Office for National Statistics.