Programmes

Smethwick is one of 75 towns across the UK selected to receive up to £20 million of Government investment over the next 10 years, through the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme. This long-term funding is a real opportunity for change but more importantly, it puts power where it belongs - in our hands as a community. This programme is designed to ensure that we, the people who live and work in Smethwick, lead the way in setting priorities and shaping projects for our town. 

Take a look at the Plan for Neighbourhoods Prospectus here.

How we're making it happen

Our Smethwick Partnership Board, working closely with Sandwell Council as the Accountable Body, will ensure local voices are at the heart of every decision. We are committed to ensuring that this investment delivers on the things that matter most to our community.

Following extensive engagement with residents, businesses, young people, community groups and local partners, we have now submitted Smethwick’s 10-year Regeneration Plan and 4-year Investment Plan to Government. These plans focus on the themes set by Government, which reflect the things many of us already care about:

• Regeneration, High Streets and Heritage
• Housing
• Works, Productivity and Skills
• Cohesion
• Health and Wellbeing
• Transport
• Safety and Security
• Education and Opportunity

The plans set out the activities and potential projects that will deliver on the Government’s three core priorities: Thriving Places, Stronger Communities, and Taking Back Control.

How we got here

In October 2023, the former Government launched the Long-Term Plan for Towns programme, selecting Smethwick to receive up to £20 million over 10 years. Each town was asked to develop a plan that truly reflected the needs and ambitions of its community.

In Spring 2024, we invited residents, businesses and community groups to share their ideas through a public survey. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took part - your feedback helped us shape our early draft Investment Plan.

We also want to be honest about the challenges we faced. The engagement process in 2024 took place during both Local and General Election periods, which placed significant restrictions on how we could promote activities and reach people. We know that not all communities had the chance to take part and we acknowledge that this limited the depth and breadth of engagement.

We have listened and learned. As the programme moved forward - relaunched in March 2025 as Plan for Neighbourhoods - we strengthened our approach to engagement, reaching more people, in more places, through more accessible methods.

What's next?

Submitting our plans to Government is an important milestone - but it’s only the beginning.

At the moment, no projects have been chosen to benefit from this investment. Over the coming months, we expect to receive feedback on Smethwick's Regeneration Plan. While we wait for approval, we are developing a simple, transparent process for inviting project ideas from across Smethwick.

The Government has said that projects will begin from April 2026, which gives us time to plan carefully and make sure the process is fair, inclusive and shaped by what you tell us matters most.

Stay involved

We want this to be a journey we take together - one built by the people who know Smethwick best. If you’d like to stay up to date, find out about upcoming events, or share your ideas, join our mailing list.

Email us at Smethwick_PFN@sandwell.gov.uk to join.

Let's shape Smethwick's future together.