Hateley Heath
Encyclopedia
Hateley Heath is a residential area of West Bromwich
in the West Midlands
of England
.
An infant school was built to serve the estate in 1950, replacing facilities at Hill Top, followed by the junior school two years later. The infant and junior schools merged to form a single primary school in September 1999.
By the 1980s, Hateley Heath had become a crime-fuelled "sink
" housing estate
with a very poor reputation.
In January 1992, an Express & Star
report on the estate revealed some shocking findings. It was estimated that six out of ten children living in Hateley Heath were involved in crime. Joyriding
, burglaries and vandalism were just some of the many problems that were supposedly plaguing the area. Several shopkeepers had closed their stores due to theft and vandalism. In 1991 alone, West Midlands Police
in Sandwell received no less than 1,006 complaints about crime on the estate - an average of once in just over eight hours. Car thefts and break-ins were the most common crime in the area, followed closely behind by burglaries and vandalism. During the year, 48 people on the estate were arrested on suspicion of criminal offences, though it is unknown how many of these arrests resulted in a conviction. What is known is that all but three of the people arrested were aged under 25. Unemployment and social deprivation were blamed for the decline of Hateley Heath, with almost 15% of employable residents being out of work. However, the nearby towns of Smethwick
and Tipton
had an even higher unemployment rate at this time, when the national economy was in recession.
Over the last 20 years, Hateley Heath has improved with the aid of local community projects. One of the first phases of the area's regeneration came in 1992 when several blocks of unpopular council flats on the estate were demolished. Desirable private houses were built in their place.
The estate has been served by an infant school since 1950 and a junior school since 1952. Both of these schools replaced facilities at nearby Hill Top School, which remained open as a secondary school until 1992 and is now the site of a housing development.
A secondary primary school, Kent Close Primary, was opened on the estate in 1960 to serve the growing 5-11 population.It closed in July 2005 and was later demolished.
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
It was developed during the early 1950s to rehouse people from town centre slum clearances, with hundreds of new homes being built by the local council. The new homes initially very popular with their occupants, who appreciated modern facilities such as indoor toilets, bathrooms, running water, electricity and gardens.An infant school was built to serve the estate in 1950, replacing facilities at Hill Top, followed by the junior school two years later. The infant and junior schools merged to form a single primary school in September 1999.
By the 1980s, Hateley Heath had become a crime-fuelled "sink
Sink estate
A sink estate is a British council housing estate characterised by high levels of economic and social deprivation. Such estates are not always high crime areas although there is a strong correlation between crime rates and sink estates in large urban areas...
" housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
with a very poor reputation.
In January 1992, an Express & Star
Express & Star
The Express & Star is an evening newspaper based in Wolverhampton, England, published Monday to Saturday in nine different editions covering the Black Country, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area from Tamworth to Kidderminster. It as widely perceived as being moderately right-wing...
report on the estate revealed some shocking findings. It was estimated that six out of ten children living in Hateley Heath were involved in crime. Joyriding
Joyride (crime)
To joyride is to drive around in a stolen car, boat, or other vehicle with no particular goal, a ride taken solely for pleasure.In English law, joyriding is not considered to be theft, because the intention to "permanently deprive" the owner of the vehicle cannot be proven...
, burglaries and vandalism were just some of the many problems that were supposedly plaguing the area. Several shopkeepers had closed their stores due to theft and vandalism. In 1991 alone, West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England.Covering an area with nearly 2.6 million inhabitants, which includes the cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and also the Black Country; the force is made up...
in Sandwell received no less than 1,006 complaints about crime on the estate - an average of once in just over eight hours. Car thefts and break-ins were the most common crime in the area, followed closely behind by burglaries and vandalism. During the year, 48 people on the estate were arrested on suspicion of criminal offences, though it is unknown how many of these arrests resulted in a conviction. What is known is that all but three of the people arrested were aged under 25. Unemployment and social deprivation were blamed for the decline of Hateley Heath, with almost 15% of employable residents being out of work. However, the nearby towns of Smethwick
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
and Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
had an even higher unemployment rate at this time, when the national economy was in recession.
Over the last 20 years, Hateley Heath has improved with the aid of local community projects. One of the first phases of the area's regeneration came in 1992 when several blocks of unpopular council flats on the estate were demolished. Desirable private houses were built in their place.
The estate has been served by an infant school since 1950 and a junior school since 1952. Both of these schools replaced facilities at nearby Hill Top School, which remained open as a secondary school until 1992 and is now the site of a housing development.
A secondary primary school, Kent Close Primary, was opened on the estate in 1960 to serve the growing 5-11 population.It closed in July 2005 and was later demolished.