My Black Country town has been ignored for years - here's why

Coseley is the ‘forgotten and neglected part of Dudley borough’ according to one of its newest ward councillors.

The area lies towards the north of the borough and Cllr Sat Sherwani says there is an identity crisis where people from outside fail to recognise where the region has its roots.

The Reform UK councillor, who was elected in May 2026, spoke out about his concerns as he highlighted overgrown grass verges and flytipping on the streets of his ward.

Cllr Sherwani said: “Coseley’s ignored. It’s been ignored for many years. We are part of Dudley borough but there are people out there who do not live in Coseley telling me, are you from Wolverhampton or is it Sandwell? Or is it Dudley?

“There is an identity issue here, we are not on the map here. There is nothing because the funding that’s coming down is being allocated to other parts of the borough.”

Dudley’s Place-Based Strategy adopted in 2024 highlights places of ‘opportunity and growth’ which will be priorities for investment.

The areas highlighted in the strategy are Brierley Hill, Dudley town centre, Halesowen, Stourbridge and Lye.

Cllr Sherwani’s comments echo the views of his ward colleague, Labour’s Cllr Sue Ridney, who as far back as  2022 said people in Coseley felt neglected and abandoned.

In recent years a number of amenities in Coseley have closed including the swimming baths in 2009 despite a public campaign to save the facility. 

In 2011 public toilets in the centre of the village were closed by the council which prompted claims businesses had been affected and in 2017 the Coseley School was closed after poor performances and falling pupil numbers.

The latest development seen as a blow to the community came in 2021 when Dudley Council pulled out of an agreement with Wolverhampton Council which gave Coseley residents access to the Anchor Lane waste centre.

Dudley’s only household waste centre is in Stourbridge and, while Dudley Council operates pop-up tips in nearby Sedgley,  Cllr Sherwani says residents struggle to book a time to visit the temporary facility and as a result flytipping is on the rise.

Cllr Sherwani said: “When the pop-up tip idea initially started, I found it quite appealing, for me it was better than nothing.

“But  that was about two years ago, over time it’s proved pretty much useless, people can’t get slots and that has led to a flytipping increase.

“A local tip is needed to reduce flytipping, it should not require a trip to get to a tip.

“Coseley is the access point into the borough, if we leave Coseley looking untidy you are making the whole borough look untidy.

“Coseley is the crown jewel of the borough.”