22 Brades Village Neighbourhood Neighbourhood Profile 22.1 The Brades Village Neighbourhood is located in the Oldbury Ward of Sandwell MBC, see Map at Appendix V. The Neighbourhood is divided into 2 parts by the main road to Tipton-Dudley Road East. To the west of this road are the areas know locally as Rounds Green and Brades Village. To the east is a mixed housing area from Junction Street in the south to Theodore Close at the northern end. 22.2 The census data from 2001 identifies that Brades Village has 2a population 2591 – this shows a decline of 243 people since the 1991 census. 76% (1958) people are white. Of the remaining 24% the largest population group are identified as Indian (10.6%) with 5.8% Caribbean, 3.9% Pakistani and 2.4% of mixed race. There are small numbers of Chinese, other black, African and other Asian recorded. 22.3 The population is broadly split 50:50 female to male. There are 762 people aged 0-24 living in the neighbourhood – that is 29.4%. There is also a significant older population with 657 people aged 60 and over – that is 25.3%. 2001 Census data and neighbourhood profile attached as Appendix W. Transforming the Urban Form 22.4 Brades Village is to the north of Oldbury Ward. It is bounded by the Wolverhampton Road to the west with Bury Hill Park across the road and Lower City Road with Tividale High School to the north. Open space, the Meadows School, the Hindu Temple and Roway Lane are to the north east. To the south is Rounds Green Primary School, open space and canals leading up to Oldbury Town Centre and the Council House and its current car parking. 22.5 The Junction project which will provide a leisure and sports facility, in Oldbury that is second to none has received planning permission from Sandwell. It has however recently been called in by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and a public inquiry will be held before it can proceed. This is likely to start in spring 2004. The project includes football pitches, a skating rink, community facilities, a community police station. This facility will provide much needed leisure activities for local people and will be easily accessible to Brades Village. 22.6 There are 1117 dwellings in the neighbourhood, 69.3% are in owner-occupation. 151 (13.5%) are without central heating. Over 1/3 of households are one-person households. 39.4% are occupied by couples the remainder are lone parent households (with or without dependent children). 769 dwellings are owner-occupied (69.3%) which is above the borough average of 60.3%. 144 properties are rented from the council – at 13% this is half the borough average of 26.6%. Other forms of renting (RSLs/private) at 17.6% are higher that the borough average of 13.1%. Brades Village has 944 houses/bungalows of which 90 are detached and 563 are semi-detached. There are 165 flats/maisonettes/ apartments. 22.7 The area is surrounded by industry, business parks and retail parks towards the Oldbury Ringway. It is also close to the Council’s recycling centre and tip at Shidas Lane. This site is the main depot for Direct Services activities in Sandwell. 22.8 There are a few small shops along Dudley Road East, there is a chip shop on Ashtree Road and some shops at the junction of Ashtree Road with Lower City Road. Creating a Safer Sandwell 22.9 There are a number of active neighbourhood watch schemes in Brades Village. These are pepper-potted throughout the area. Local people have expressed some concerns about anti-social behaviour – particularly in the Theodore Close area and as a result the NRF funded assessment team has worked with young people in that area. The assessment took place in March/April 2003 over an 8 week period, using the usual method of differing times. Only once were young people encountered, and they were riding bicycles. There was little or no evidence of litter or any other form of inappropriate activity. The team did meet local people who said that things had improved since their presence. The Council has provided goal posts on a near by piece of land. 22.10 The Community Safety Team based at Sandwell Council House has produced a crime audit for Brades Village (Appendix X). It should be borne in mind that in order to assess the nature of crime and disorder in an area it is necessary to look at available data over a minimum period of three years. Total recorded crime in Brades Village has risen by 40% over a 5 year period which is in excess of the Sandwell Borough and Oldbury town trend. However over a 1 year period it has reduced by just under 2% which is slightly more than the Town trend but less than the borough trend. 22.11 Domestic Burglary has shown a slight increase over both 5 and 1 year periods. However the Borough wide trend for this offence is considerably down over the same period whilst the town average has shown an upward trend of just over 21% over 5 years but a 2.5% reduction over 1 year. 22.12 Thefts of motor vehicles have fallen consistently over both 5 and 1 year periods in line with both Borough and Town trends. However, thefts from vehicle have shown an increase over 5 years but a reduction of 1 year. Both the increase and reduction are greater than average. The 1 year reduction in thefts from vehicle is in fact lightly distorted due to an upward ‘blip’ in offences recorded in 01-02. 22.13 Robbery offences are relatively low. There was a disturbing upward trend in 00-01 and 01-02 but this figure has now been reduced. 22.14 Violence and disorder incidents have risen over 5 years as they have in other areas but Brades Village has shown a slight decrease over 1 year. Offences of Arson have also shown a significant percentage increase but that figure is distorted somewhat due to the relatively low numbers of recorded offences. 22.15 It is suggested that any targeted work should centre around Burglary and categories which reflect or that may impinge upon Anti Social Behaviour. Vehicle crime should also be carefully monitored. 22.16 West Midlands Police have recently appointed 2 schools Partnerships Officers to work at Tividale High School and its 7 feeder schools. The posts are funded from a cocktail of money including £21,000 from the Grace Mary Children’s Fund. One of the feeder schools is Rounds Green Primary School – so it will benefit from their work which is primarily to work with the school staff, pupils and local community to develop a greater understanding of the Police. The officers will also assist in encouraging citizenship amongst the pupils. These officers are in addition to the local police establishment. 22.17 Oldbury Fire Station personnel will continue to work in partnership to identify vulnerable people and ensure that they are offered a full domestic fire risk assessments and link them to the smoke alarm fitting programme. They have forged links with the new Meadows School and will work with them to connect their students from the school with their special needs Young Fire Fighters Association. 22.18 Oldbury Town Team will also work with the Police, Warm Zone (for the rest of its life) and West Midlands Fire Service to secure additional funding in order that all households receive a home safety/security pack. Improving Health and Conditions for Good Health 22.19 The 2001 census indicates that 565 residents (21.8%) consider themselves to have a limiting long-term illness. A further 11.2% (289) feel their general health is not good. Both of these figures are at or slightly below the Sandwell average. Brades Village is ranked 4/79 neighbourhoods (1 is most deprived) regarding % of births below 2500 grammes. 22.20 (Ray - I know nothing about how and where the residents access their health services – please can you help)? Our action planning in April said “lack of medical centre facilities” – presumably the new Oldbury Health Centre will help?? Also does anyone know what the Centre/residential home (?) is off the Dingle? Revise Sandwell’s Economy 22.21 56.5% of Brades Village residents (1055) are employed, there are 4.7% (88) people unemployed with 36 (1.9%) long term. These are both below the Borough average. Of the people in employment 62.7% (683) travel to work by car with 16.3% (177) using public transport. 33.3% of households are without a car/van – this is lower that the Borough average of 37.5%. 22.22 If it goes ahead the Junction Project should provide employment opportunities for local people, this was raised by several people during the public consultation exercise. Promoting Lifelong Learning 22.23 There are 337 children of school age currently registered at local schools. The main destination of pupils is Tividale High School (80), St. Michaels CE (24), Rounds Green Primary School (117), Christ Church CE (24), St. Francis Xavier (11), Tividale Community (25) the remainder attend 36 schools across the whole borough. These figures come from a pupil postcode analysis of Oldbury Neighbourhoods produced by Education and Lifelong Learning using data from the schools PLASC returns January 2003. Attainment data relating to these schools is at appendix Y 22.24 There are 3 schools on the ‘boundaries’ of Brades Village, these are Tividale High School, Rounds Green Primary School and the Meadows Special School.