Approximately £1.4 million of illegal vapes and counterfeit goods have been uncovered by Walsall Trading Standards officers following a joint operation with specialist sniffer dogs. The enforcement activity, part of the national Operation CeCe crackdown on illicit tobacco and vapes, took place on Thursday July 25, 2025. Officers initially visited two retail premises in the borough, where sniffer dogs located illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes—even from a sophisticated concealment and a hidden ceiling compartment. The team then moved on to a self-storage yard in Walsall, where sniffer dogs Griff and Cooper alerted officers to four suspicious containers. Two were found…

Walsall Council has worked with West Midlands Police to address reports of anti-social behaviour, drug misuse, fly-tipping and rough sleeping at a town centre car. Following complaints from residents and local businesses, officers from Walsall Council’s Community Safety, Community Protection, Asset Management and Parking Enforcement teams joined police for an on-site inspection at Paddock Lane on 15 July 2025. Officers discovered that locks intended to keep the premises secure had been broken. The car park was being used by rough sleepers, with anti-social behaviour, including drug taking, abandoned vehicles, and fly-tipping taking place. On 25 July, Walsall Council’s Community…

Walsall Council is continuing its commitment to supporting families access essentials through the cost of living crisis with the launch of two new community shops in the first week of August. Official launch of Lucy’s Pantry community shop in The Saddlers Shopping Centre Lucy’s Pantry officially opened the doors to its new, expanded premises at Saddlers Shopping Centre on Tuesday 5 August, offering a dignified, low-cost food shopping experience to residents across the borough. This will be followed two days later by the opening of the Love Blakenall Community Hub at Blakenall Village Centre on Thursday 7 August. “ We’re…

The construction of Walsall’s new £32 million Household Waste Recycling Centre and Waste Transfer Station is now complete. The site, situated on Middlemore Lane, Aldridge, will provide easy-to-use facilities helping residents to recycle a wider range of items. This will enable the delivery of a new waste strategy, to be launched this year, which will emphasise a shift towards a circular economy, where materials are reused and recycled. The facilities will play a crucial role in meeting local and national waste management objectives by reducing landfill waste and increasing recycling rates. “ This project is a huge development for Walsall.…

Twelve primary school pupils from across Walsall have been announced as the winners of a borough-wide competition to design banners promoting litter picking and tackling environmental waste. The competition, open to Key Stage 2 pupils, asked children to create artwork for Walsall Council’s Community Litter Watch Facebook page, aiming to raise awareness of litter issues and encourage residents to take pride in their communities. The winning entries will be featured as the page banner image—one each month for the next 12 months—highlighting the importance of community action to keep Walsall clean and green. Winning pupils were invited to a special…

Lakeside Live festival returns to Walsall on Sunday 17 August 2025, promising a day of electrifying performances, family-friendly fun, and diverse food options, all completely free to attend. The annual community music festival will take from 12:00pm to 6:00pm at the Walsall Arboretum Bandstand. The line-up of this year’s festival features 20 local acts, showcasing a vibrant mix of genres including rock, funk, reggae, folk, and blues. Fun-seekers can look forward to performances from contemporary folk singer Aayushi, live music from Ancient Champion Notion of Fortune, the Goddam Band, and Midnight Crossing. “ We are proud to bring back the…

Walsall Council is marking National Allotments Week 2025, which runs until Sunday 17 August, by celebrating the growing role allotments play in supporting physical and mental wellbeing across the borough. The theme this year is “Allotments and Wellbeing” and focuses on the positive impact of allotment gardening on health, nutrition, and community connection. Walsall’s allotment sites offer residents a chance to grow fresh produce, stay active, meet others, and enjoy the outdoors. Some events are scheduled to take place across Walsall’s allotment sites this August, starting with a special growing show and friendly competition hosted by the North Walsall Allotment…

Leader of Walsall Council, Councillor Mike Bird, presented his report at a meeting of full council last night (Wednesday 30 July), highlighting the impressive plans to transform Walsall Town Centre. CGI of walsall saddlers centre The Town Centre Connected Gateway project is already underway, with the downstairs area of the Saddlers Centre set to complete construction in Autumn this year. Major works to transform the town centre by creating a clearer link between the town’s rail and bus stations and improve the surrounding area to make the town centre more appealing will then commence in early 2026, with contractor Kier…

440 families in Walsall have already signed up to the council’s newly launched Summer Adventure Passport. Summer adventure passport The passport is a free activity booklet packed full of fun, educational challenges aimed at families with children aged 0-5. Since 11 July, parents have been able to collect their passport from libraries and Family Hubs across Walsall, collecting stamps for each activity they complete together. The passport is an active step forward in the council’s vision to create a child-friendly borough by 2040, and ensure all children and young people are happy, healthy and are given the opportunities to thrive.…

Poundland founder Steve Smith Steve Smith launched the retail chain Poundland in 1990. From humble beginnings he worked his way up from selling on market stalls to running the multi-million-pound retail business which he went onto sell almost 20 years ago. Speaking recently at the first ever We Are Walsall 2040 conference, Smith originally from Willenhall, was optimistic about the future of the borough: “It is the people of Walsall who make me most proud to come from this area. I built my business with good people and with good people, who work hard, you can achieve a great deal.”…