Reform's enforcement chief at Walsall Council could not say whether enforcement action will increase under the new Reform-led council, despite bold promises made prior to the May elections.
Scrutiny Meeting Questions
At a public scrutiny meeting on July 2, Councillor Ian Benton, portfolio holder for street scene and enforcement, delivered a speech on Reform's priorities to deliver 'safe neighbourhoods' where the council takes 'robust action against those who ignore the rules'. He was then asked by leader of Walsall Community Independents, Councillor Aftab Nawaz, what the difference will be between the previous enforcement policies of the Conservative administration and the new Reform administration. Councillor Benton said Reform had not been in the post long enough and said it would be more appropriate for officers to answer the question.
Pre-Election Promises
Prior to the May elections, Reform made bold promises that voters would see stronger enforcement action should they be voted in. But the top boss for enforcement wasn't able to confirm whether residents would see an increase at all. Councillor Peter Burton, a fellow Reform member, said: “It's clear that the number of enforcement actions taken by the previous administration was very low. Can you assure us and the residents I represent that the number will increase?” But again Councillor Benton redirected the question to officers stating Reform had only been in post for a short period.
Previous Administration's Record
In July 2025, Mike Bird, the then-leader of the Conservative council, vowed to put the 'force back into enforcement'. However, in the six months that followed, the number of fly-tipping fines not only remained in single figures but was even lower than in the six months before the bold promise was made. Walsall Council at the time said measuring enforcement efforts cannot be assessed solely on the issuing of fines.
Funding for Enforcement
In September 2025, the ruling Conservatives approved a £4.7m spend to ramp up enforcement which included a fly-tipping crackdown, a fixed penalty expansion, bulky waste enforcement, the creation of a unified enforcement board and the expansion of CCTV. Councillor Adrian Andrew, leader of the Conservative opposition group, asked Reform whether that £4.7m is safe. This time Councillor Benton was able to answer and confirmed that the funding will remain in place.
