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I visited town blighted by anti-social behaviour and found ‘fake beggars and weed’
As the sun beats down on Brierley Hill’s high street, the din of everyday life gently rumbles away. The clang of drilling workmen fills the air, while shoppers bask on a wooden bench just yards away, savouring mouthfuls of pastries.
Life appeared calm and happy, with no signs of disorder. But according to a new survey, the town has the second highest level of anti-social-behaviour (ASB) in the Black Country.
The Brierley Hill ward in Dudley recorded 20 crimes of ASB per 1,000 residents, joint level with Wolverhampton Central and only behind Walsall Central. Following this, BlackCountryLive paid a visit to its high street to see what life was like.
READ MORE: From warriors to flowers – The origins of Dudley towns and how they got their names
History
The town dates back to the Anglo-Saxon era where its name originally meant ‘where the Briar Rose flower grows’. In the 1800s, Brierley Hill became heavily industrialized with iron works, quarries and glass works dotting the landscape.
However much of the industries closed during the 20th century after deposits of raw material became depleted. The Round Oak Steelworks, a large employer, closed in 1982, leading to thousands of job losses.
The site later became the home of Merry Hill Shopping Centre, which is what the town is better known for today. At present, £5 million regeneration works are taking place on High Street in Brierley Hill, as council bosses seek to regenerate the area. This will see public toilets upgraded, transport links boosted, and the installation of new cycle facilities, trees and seating.
What do residents and businesses say?
The regeneration work has seen Brierley Hill’s high street become one-way, affecting traffic and bus routes. Barriers and cones line the road while machines clang away. Work is expected to go on until Winter 2024.
‘Dodgy dealings’
Adele Thomas, 49, from Brierley Hill, who is a nurse at a nearby hospital, said: “It is good that they are doing the work.” However raising concerns about crime, she claims to have heard rumours of “dodgy dealings going on in the middle of the town”.
Her mum, Marianne Churchman, 68, said: “You can smell the weed, especially at the other end (of the high street).”
Adele said the high street needs “more shops” while Marianne rued the loss of banks in the town, claiming there was not a single one open anymore. “It’s a shame, there were five open when we came here,” Marianne said.
The mum and daughter said the only good shops left were a haberdashery, a butchers and Home Bargains. Adele added: “All the roadworks that is going on is a positive. What they have done outside St Michael’s Church is really good, too.”
‘Fake beggars’
Lee Merrick, aged 32, from Brierley Hill, says he comes from the Hawbush estate and is “born and bred” in Brierley Hill. He said: “It’s alright around here to be fair, people keep themselves to themselves,” although he admitted there were troublesome people.
Sadly, Lee said there were some rough sleepers in Brierley Hill. He tries to help them if they are “genuine” but he claimed some actually have “houses”.
He said: “If they are genuine and they have got nothing, I will help them.” Pointing across the high street, he added: “Some have got homes, I have seen them go into their house. One was down there and the other was up here.”
‘Very quiet’
Christine Hill, aged 71, from Pensnett, runs a stall in Brierley Hall Markey Hall, called Chrissie’s Collectibles. She believes the town is “very quiet” in terms of trade – due, in part, to the roadworks which are taking place on the high street.
“It’s very quiet, it’s not helping at all (the roadworks),” she said. “I have got regular customers but (footfall) is bad. I think we should get some form of compensation.
“A lot of people catch buses but they can’t catch them on the high street at the moment. It’s a shame, it used to be busier, you’d be shoulder to shoulder.” She added: “I wouldn’t come here at night, not on my own”.
An elderly man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It has gone downhill in the past few years. We don’t come down here very often, I wouldn’t come here at night.” A woman who was with him added: “There’s not much selection here in terms of shops.”
‘Crime no different than elsewhere’
Simon Gannon, 46, from Northfield Birmingham, who runs Bostin Hardware on the high street, said there were issues with crime and traffic – but it wasn’t out of the ordinary. Mr Gannon moved into his premises seven months ago, having moved Brierley Hill market where he was for three-and-a-half years. He said: “The roadworks aren’t helping in terms of trade but it could be a lot worse.
He continued: “I have had shops in other areas, there is crime wherever you go. It is no better where I live in Northfield.”
He believes there has been a “slight increase” in crime since a pub opened on the high street, adding: “You find a lot more people walking around that have had a drink.”
Shopkeeper Ali, 38, who runs 1 Stop Minimarket, said he has had to decline “vape sales” to teenagers. He said: “Business is alright, the crime is alright. Sometimes, teenagers ask for vapes. We don’t sell it. We just keep calm and say ‘no’. Otherwise, people are okay.”
‘Well-loved town centre’
In response to the story, councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader and cabinet member for communities and economic delivery at Dudley Council, said: “Brierley Hill is a popular and well-loved town centre, with a thriving market and a proud sense of community. If people have concerns about any illegal activity in the town I would urge them to contact the police and if it relates to a business premises, to also contact our Trading Standards team.
“The town continues to attract shoppers and visitors despite challenging times for high streets across the country and we are working closely with Brierley Hill Cultural Consortium and other groups in the area to support a raft of exciting projects. We have launched a ‘Shop Local’ campaign for Brierley Hill to highlight that the town is very much open for business while major regeneration works are underway.
“Thanks to funding through the Future High Streets Fund and Brierley Hill High Street Heritage Action Zone, public realm improvements are progressing well. Paving on the market side of the High Street is nearly complete and work has now started on the Moor Centre side of the High Street.
“It is expected that work will be completed on this side of the road by October/November 2023, following which improvement work will start at the Civic Green. This work, coupled with the improvements being made to the library and the soon-to-be-re-opened public toilets will help to transform the town and improve its connectivity and integration with the new Brierley Hill to Wednesbury Metro extension.”
West Midlands Police was approached for comment.
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