Smethwick High Street Grapples with Persistent Issues as HMO Appeal Decision Nears
Business owners along Smethwick High Street continue to confront a series of escalating problems, including repeated break-ins, rampant fly-tipping, and hazardous parking conditions. This comes as a government inspector prepares to rule on an appeal that could overturn a previous rejection and allow an 11-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) to be built in the area.
Regeneration Funding Amid Ongoing Neglect
Smethwick is set to receive £20 million in government funding over the next decade, aimed at revitalizing the town, enhancing facilities, and improving safety. While the regeneration of High Street is considered a major priority, many local entrepreneurs argue that long-standing issues have been overlooked for too long and show little sign of abatement.
The proposed HMO became a highly contentious topic last year, with Sandwell Council's planning committee ultimately rejecting the application. Councillors and residents warned that an influx of such cramped shared accommodations risked transforming parts of the borough into slums. They highlighted that Smethwick High Street was already struggling with overflowing bins, fly-tipping, poor parking, rat infestations, and blocked drains, asserting that the new HMO would exacerbate these problems significantly.
Fear of Worsening Conditions
Following an appeal launched earlier this year, there is now a possibility that the HMO could still be constructed if the government inspector decides to overrule the local council. This prospect has alarmed shop owners, who not only oppose the HMO but also feel that progress on addressing Smethwick's existing challenges has been minimal.
"Smethwick is a fantastic place," remarked one takeaway owner. "There's huge diversity, the amount of shops, the variety, the amount of different people is great. It's wrong to just call it a slum or a dump, it's nothing like that, but any or all of the problems here are of the council's own doing I think and it's on them to do something to change it or make it better."
Daily Challenges and Safety Concerns
Residents detailed numerous ongoing issues during last year's planning meeting, many of which persist today. Locals report daily occurrences of street drinking, drug-taking behind shops, littering, and public urination and defecation. Mounds of fly-tipping continue to attract rats and other vermin, compounding the area's woes.
Efforts to install CCTV for enhanced safety have reportedly not gained support, leaving staff feeling vulnerable. "Some of our staff are scared to go outside after 6pm," shared a shop employee. "They are scared to go out the back because they don't know what they will find. We won't even go around some corners over the fear of what might be there."
Dangerous Traffic and Infrastructure Issues
Victoria Avenue, a narrow thoroughfare off Smethwick High Street barely wide enough for a single car, is expected to serve businesses, existing residents, and potentially additional occupants if the HMO is approved. Many have labeled it a 'death road,' expressing shock that no serious injuries have yet occurred at the junction.
During a brief visit, the chaotic scene was evident: cars, scooters, delivery vans, and even a police car navigated the pothole-ridden gap between High Street shops and Smethwick Council House, alongside vulnerable pedestrians with prams and walking frames. "Somebody will be killed there one day, for sure," warned a shop owner. "You can see for yourself how many cars are constantly coming through such a tiny narrow street. There's no space for parking here as it is for the people here already and they want to put another 20-odd people here? And they don't think these people will have cars?"
The owner continued, "Sort out the problems now before you start stacking more people on top of each other. You have cars and vans and all sorts trying to blindly come out onto the road - across a pavement and a cycle path as well - and it's a miracle, a real miracle, that nobody has been hurt yet. There's plenty of space behind the council house next door, why can't they put a car park there? It doesn't even have to be a car park, it's just empty land, do something with it."
Increased Security Measures
Another shop owner revealed that the lack of action against anti-social behavior has compelled him to invest in enhanced security. "We've got locks everywhere on both front and doors," he explained. "We had homeless people congregating outside in the doorway who kept trying to get in so we had to put in a lock during the day. It's ridiculous."
As the community awaits the HMO appeal decision, business owners emphasize the urgent need for immediate interventions to address the critical issues plaguing Smethwick High Street, rather than adding further strain with new developments.
