THE borough’s political boundaries have been redrawn ahead of the next general election.

The periodic review of the region’s – and the country’s – constituency boundaries carried out last year will see the old parliamentary seats of West Bromwich East, West Bromwich West, Warley and Halesowen and Rowley Regis scrapped, redrawn and renamed West Bromwich, Tipton and Wednesbury, Smethwick, and Halesowen.

Sandwell’s current ward boundaries will remain the same but the remapping of the political borders for general elections will see the four new constituencies created.

Sandwell’s ward boundaries, which are used for local elections, remain unchanged with the alterations only affecting the votes for the region’s MPs at the next general election – which, by law, has to be held by January 28, 2025.

One seat in each of the council’s 24 wards will be up for grabs in local elections on Thursday, May 2 with voters in Sandwell choosing not only a council representative but also their preference for the next mayor of the West Midlands.

The poll to elect the next West Midlands police and crime commissioner (PCC) is also scheduled to take place on the same day but the run-up to the vote has been marred by a political row over whether the powers, which include setting the force’s budget, appointing chief constables and issuing a policing plan, should remain with the PCC’s office or be transferred to the West Midlands mayor.

Sandwell is currently home to three Conservative MPs Nicola Richards and Shaun Bailey in West Bromwich East and West Bromwich West respectively, with James Morris representing Halesowen and Rowley Regis and Labour’s John Spellar the holder of the Warley seat.

West Bromwich

The current council wards of Charlemont with Grove Vale, Great Barr with Yew Tree, Greets Green and Lyng, Newton and West Bromwich Central – which make up the West Bromwich East seat – would all remain in the new West Bromwich boundary and be joined by Oldbury from West Bromwich West.

Tividale would move to Tipton and Wednesbury and Rowley would move to the new West Bromwich seat.

Tipton and Wednesbury

The old West Bromwich West seat would be divided up with Great Bridge, Princes End, Tipton Green, Wednesbury North and Wednesbury South forming the new Tipton and Wednesbury boundary.

Friar Park and Hateley Heath would move from West Bromwich East to help form the new Tipton and Wednesbury seat. The new Tipton and Wednesbury seat also includes the Coseley East ward – which is part of the Dudley borough and not Sandwell.

Smethwick

The old Warley constituency – which is made up of the Abbey, Bristnall, Langley, Old Warley, Smethwick, Soho and Victoria and St Pauls wards – would be scrapped to form the new Smethwick ward.

A small part of the Blackheath ward which is currently in the Warley constituency, would move to the newly renamed Halesowen seat.

Halewsowen

The old Halesowen and Rowley Regis would be divided with the majority of the Sandwell areas moving into the new Smethwick constituency.

Most of the current Blackheath ward would move to Smethwick – with only a small part remaining in the renamed Halesowen ward. The existing Rowley ward would move to West Bromwich.

Sandwell’s Cradley Heath and Old Hill ward would remain in the new Halesowen constituency.

The constituency also includes Belle Vale, Halesowen North, Halesowen South and Hayley Green and Cradley South which are all under the authority of Dudley Council.