History
The Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell was formed on 1 April 1974 as a merger of the county boroughs of Warley (ceremonially within Worcestershire) and West Bromwich (ceremonially within Staffordshire). Warley had formed in 1966 by a merger of the county borough of Smethwick with the Staffordshire borough of Rowley Regis and the Worcestershire town of Oldbury (itself part of an exclave of Shropshire until the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844), as well as parts of Dudley and Tipton. West Bromwich had also been expanded in 1966 to include the bulk of the boroughs of Tipton and Wednesbury, as well as a small part of Coseley.
In 1986 the West Midlands County Council was abolished and Sandwell effectively became a unitary authority. Sandwell is divided into 24 Wards and is represented by 72 ward councillors.
West Bromwich is the largest town in Sandwell, however the council headquarters are based in Oldbury.
The borough was named after Sandwell Priory, the ruins of which are in Sandwell Valley. The local council has considered changing its name in the past, as many people outside of the West Midlands are confused as to where it is located, and in June 2002 a survey of borough residents was carried out. Sixty-five percent of those surveyed favoured retaining the name Sandwell.
Sandwell College was opened in September 1986 following the merger of Warley College and West Bromwich College. It was originally currently based in the old Warley College buildings on Pound Road, Oldbury, and the West Bromwich College buildings on West Bromwich High Street, as well as a building in Smethwick town centre, but moved into a new single site campus in West Bromwich town centre in September 2011.
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