Residents and businesses may soon notice improvements around Grice Street and Bullock Street in an industrial estate in West Bromwich, following a major multi-agency operation carried out last week.
This took place to address concerns about safety, waste and site management.
The high-visibility operation brought together officers from across the council alongside West Midlands Police and West Midlands Fire Service.
The aim was to check conditions on the mixed-use estate, tackle any breaches and work with local businesses to improve standards.
During the inspections a number of issues were identified including:
- Fly-tipped waste and poor waste management
- Abandoned, untaxed and unroadworthy vehicles
Teams carried out thorough checks across the site and took immediate action where possible.
Waste was cleared by Sandwell Council's Environmental Enforcement Rapid Response Team, while the Environmental Protection Team and DVLA contractor partners Penham Excel Ltd removed abandoned cars found during the operation.
The council will continue to follow up on the findings from the visit, and further enforcement and improvement work is planned. The scale and nature of next steps will depend on the outcome of ongoing investigations, but officers confirmed the site will continue to be closely monitored.
As well as enforcement, the operation focused on education and engagement. Officers spent time speaking with business owners and site operators to reinforce environmental responsibilities, encourage reporting of problems and offer advice and support to help prevent issues re-occurring.
Joining the operation, Councillor Suzanne Hartwell, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community for Sandwell Council, said: “We’ve reshaped our neighbourhood services to be more responsive to issues like this which require a co-ordinated approach.
"This operation demonstrates our continued commitment to working in partnership to ensure that local industrial estates are safe, compliant and responsibly managed. By bringing enforcement and support services together, we can take immediate action where required while also helping businesses understand how they can contribute to a safer and cleaner environment for all.”
Councillor Keith Allcock, Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways, said: "Another successful partnership operation has enabled us to remove abandoned vehicles, clean up the area and offer support and advice to businesses on their safety and compliance duties.
"Sandwell Council and its partners will remain active at the site over the coming weeks, supporting improvements and taking enforcement action where necessary to maintain acceptable standards.”
