The boss of a brain injury charity has accused Dudley Council of ignoring pleas to help expand their services. Headway Black Country, based at a former Methodist church in Martin Hill Street, Dudley, provides rehabilitation for people with brain injuries caused by illness or accidents.
Charity's Expansion Plans Stalled
The charity, which supports around 100 clients at any given time, is desperate to expand into land adjacent to its premises. This land is currently plagued by antisocial behaviour, drug use, fly-tipping, and prostitution. Headway Black Country says it would fence off the waste ground and create an outdoor space that would greatly benefit its clients, but the council has not responded to their approach.
Harmesh Raan, operations manager at Headway Black Country, said: "We initially contacted the council about three years ago to ask if that land might become available. Over the years, it has been shown that outdoor activities, gardening, art, and woodwork can make a real difference to people with brain injuries. If we could acquire that land, it would be transformative for us, but we have met resistance every time we've tried to communicate."
Mr Raan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the council seems unwilling to even let the charity register an interest. "The council has told us that due to backlogs or staff shortages, they won't even put us on the list. It is hugely frustrating, as we know this could make a huge difference to our clients," he added.
Council Response
Councillor Daniel Bevan, Dudley's cabinet member for development and regulation, said: "Dudley Council is always keen to support and champion local charities wherever possible. We are currently reviewing this matter and will be in contact with the charity concerned."
Additional Bureaucratic Hurdles
The charity, which has operated in the region for around 30 years and serves clients from across the Black Country—including some whose rehabilitation is funded by Dudley Council—is also facing another bureaucratic obstacle. Headway Black Country owns a plot of vacant land next to its Dudley headquarters but cannot expand onto it because a derelict building on the site is deemed unsafe and at risk of collapse.
Mr Raan explained: "We have been in communication with the council for three or four years. There was a fire some years ago, so the building has no roof. Its structure is unsafe; we have had two visits from a structural engineer who deemed it dangerous. The bricks are brittle, and there are cracks in the walls."
He added: "We've had those conversations with the council, yet they tell us the building doesn't pose a danger to passers-by—but we contest that. If it were to collapse, the bricks and metal could cause damage to people nearby. It's a recipe for disaster. While the council is not putting pressure on the owner, we can no longer expand our services, which restricts what we can do."
