FORTY years since Chelmsley Wood became part of Solihull, we look back on how it happened and if anything has changed since.
I like to think the deal was done in the sort of shady drinking den that you see in British gangster flicks.
Two men with briefcases sit down at a table to “do business”. They’re there for a while and those sat around hold their breath. At last they strike a deal, shake hands, get up and walk away.
Unfortunately this is complete fiction. The agreement that saw Chelmsley Wood become part of Solihull was hammered out by civil servants.
The only drink on the table would have been tap water and if there were discrete black bags they would have contained papers about electoral boundaries rather than used bank notes.
Although in one way local politics does have something in common with the broken-up boozers of Guy Ritchie’s fantasies. And that’s the fact that no one speaks like a normal person.
On the mean streets of London people say things like “this is my manor”, while local government officials may remark “this is a metropolitan borough”.
To be precise, this is Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. But about the only time you’ll see the name in full is on the side of your wheelie bin. More likely you’ll refer to the organisation as Solihull Council. Or if you’re particularly hacked off about potholes probably just “the council” – said with the sort of disgust usually reserved for a sexually transmitted disease.
SMBC or “the council” was created 40 years ago. In fact it came into being on April Fool’s Day 1974 – except no-one saw the funny side. The massive reorganisation of local councils had put a lot of noses out of joint.
Towns, villages and suburbs were swapped between local authorities like Panini football stickers. Birmingham was perhaps the biggest bully in the playground. “Got, got, WANT…” yelled the second city, as it seized control of Sutton Coldfield.
In neighbouring Solihull, leafy avenues, sleepy villages and council estates had all been thrown together and told to get along. An area that stretched from Castle Bromwich in the north to Hockley Heath 14 miles away was suddenly represented by one organisation. An organisation that was going to find it hard to make sure everyone had a voice. Even agreeing on a name was difficult, with some pushing for the newly-created council to be christened Hemlingford (a suggestion rejected presumably because every time you say it, you sound like you're in sore need of a Halls soother).
So it wasn't the ideal start for borough councillors. Part of the problem was that population size or the relative wealth of areas were far more important factors than traditional ties when it came to carving up the West Midlands. You only have to look at the map of Solihull to see something is amiss.
The north of the borough sticks out if not like a sore thumb, then a crooked finger. It curls up past areas of Birmingham, like Sheldon, which are in fact far closer to Solihull town centre. Politics was put before the needs of local people.
It’s sad to say that 40 years since Solihull was created, some of the old divisions still remain. Does Kingshurst feel consulted? Would people in Smith’s Wood describe themselves as Silhillians? The answer is often no, although that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of good people on both sides of the A45 who are trying to change that. Many are trying to hammer home the message that the Coventry Road is just a dual carriageway and not the Israeli Separation Barrier.
The trouble is that it will take more than good will from residents. Transport authorities need to finally solve the problem of the pathetic public transport links from the north to south. The eight miles from Castle Brom to the town centre feels far longer when you’re forced to take a trip on the torturous No 71 bus.
Maybe more could be done to organise events that encourage communities to come together. I pay tribute to organisations like Solihull Music Service, who draw together students from schools across the borough, but there needs to be more examples of this.
The fact is that Solihull is here to stay, unless of course it's swallowed up into Greater Birmingham. But that, perhaps, is a story for another day.
A version of this article originally appeared in @Hybrid_Mag
