Tell us what you think and help shape Sandwell

Take part in consultations, surveys and conversations that interest you, and find out more about decisions we’ve made



Have your say

Open opportunities to get involved

We Are Sandwell Awards 2025

The nominations for the are now open! This is a fantastic opportunity to give a team or a particularly show-stopping colleague the recognition they deserve for their hard work over the past 12 months and celebrate the exceptional contributions of colleagues who live our values and behaviours every day. Anyone can nominate an individual or team by completing the nomination form. The closing date for nominations is 7 May. The winners will be announced at the We Are Sandwell Awards on...

Closes 23 May 2025

PPC95018 – ACT Permit Variation Consultation

The Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 Applied Coatings Technologies Limited has applied for a permit variation from Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council to modify an installation which coats plastic and metals utilising 5 tonnes or more in any 12-month period, solvent based paints at Applied Coating Technologies Limited, Western Road, Oldbury, B69 4LY.

Closes 28 May 2025

Closed consultations and engagement

Issues we've asked you about previously

Towns Fund West Bromwich Connected: Spon Lane Cycle Route

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council is excited to share with you proposals to construct a cycle track from Kelvin Way to National Cycle Route 81 on the towpath on the Birmingham Canal along Grice Street and Spon Lane. This follows the receipt of funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, called the Towns Fund. It is hoped that the fully segregated cycle route and improved footways and crossings will give residents the confidence to embed cycling and...

Closed 9 May 2025

Suggest a Topic for Scrutiny in 2025/26

We would like to hear your suggestions on what you think our scrutiny boards should look at in 2025/26. Scrutiny is the process where decision makers are held accountable for their decisions. It's like a system of checks and balances to ensure they are serving the community effectively, and is carried out in a variety of ways:- Examining decisions before they are implemented. Reviewing and developing council policies. ...

Closed 9 May 2025

Good Neighbourhood Management Policy

We are working in partnership with local residents to develop our Good Neighbourhood Management Policy. This Policy outlines what constitutes being a good neighbour, and to outline Sandwell Council’s commitment to ensure good neighbourhood management to support tenants and residents across the Sandwell Borough. Please take the time to read the draft policy before responding. Comments are invited on the consultation by 28th April 2025. Your responses to...

Closed 28 April 2025

Your impact

Outcomes of issues we have asked you about previously. See all outcomes

We asked

Residents were asked for their views on our Lift Maintenance and Breakdown Policy, which details our responsibility for ensuring that passenger lifts are regularly serviced, thoroughly inspected, tested, and efficiently repaired.

The council distributed and raised awareness of the policy in two housing policy engagement sessions, and with the Tenant and Resident Associations that represent areas with high-rise buildings. Additionally, we engaged with members of the Resident Building Safety Forum and other residents by post and email.

Online consultation took place over a 4-week period, from February 5th to March 5th, 2025.

You said

Respondents were generally in support of the Lift and Maintenance Breakdown Policy but raised concerns about the council’s commitment to delivering on the promises and actions of the policy.

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the consultation, was respondents desire for improved communication from the council. Across multiple questions, respondents raised concerns that tenants are often not informed about maintenance and breakdowns in a timely or effective manner. While the policy commits to keeping residents updated, some felt that, in practice, this is not happening consistently.

However, despite these concerns, there was a broad agreement, that the responsibilities outlined in the policy were easy to understand and articulated clearly. Some respondents suggested improvements that could make the policy more accessible for tenants, such as providing information in multiple languages or audio formats for those with a disability or without English as a first language.

Responses have been carefully considered by the council and a consultation report has been produced. 

We did

The servicing schedule will be published on our website, and we will contact tenants in advance, regarding any planned maintenance.

We will also conduct a review of language barriers online, in person, and in our policy documents. As part of the review, we will assess current online tools available for language support, identify gaps in language accessibility and develop a plan to implement additional resources or tools to address these gaps.

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