Sandwell

Sandwell is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is made up of the Black Country towns of Oldbury , Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. West Bromwich is the largest town in Sandwell, however the council headquarters are based in Oldbury.

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The borough was formed on April 1, 1974 as a merger of the county boroughs of Warley and West Bromwich, previously in Staffordshire. 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.

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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. However, since no single town dominates the borough, no new name could be agreed upon.

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One of Sandwell's most famous residents was Francis Asbury 1745-1816 who left the Great Barr area of Sandwell in 1771 for America where he rose to become the first Methodist Bishop in the United States.

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Metropolitan borough: A Metropolitan Borough (or Metropolitan District) is a type of local government district in England, covering urban areas within Metropolitan Counties....

West Midlands: The West Midlands in its broad sense, refers to western area of The Midlands (central England). More specifically, the name is also used for other entities, including:...

England: :For an explanation of often confusing terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology)....