The people of Walsall express their thoughts on the forthcoming local elections.

Express & Star

Transcript

00:00 So we've recently had a couple of meetings with the council, so I guess one of the biggest

00:05 issues around here is obviously the increase in crime, anti-social behaviour and local

00:13 economies, so about supporting local independent businesses.

00:19 So those are probably the key areas I think for me personally.

00:26 And you mentioned crime, obviously there's been a lot in the news about it.

00:29 What's it like from your point of view being here, what's it feel like?

00:34 In respect of what?

00:35 The crime, is it a tense atmosphere at the moment?

00:40 It's kind of on and off.

00:44 I think a lot of it's down to the lack of a regular police presence.

00:51 Sometimes they'll come in spills, they'll come in places, you'll see numbers, other

00:55 times it's just like the place is completely devoid.

00:59 So I think that kind of gives those who come into town on a regular basis and commit crime

01:06 related activities, it's got a kind of a no fear factor, they're not in for any threat.

01:12 Or anyone's going to... just that lack of deterrent, that lack of a presence is prevalent.

01:28 So there's a no fear factor for those who come in when they're shoplifting, which happens

01:34 everywhere, but it's certainly prevalent down here.

01:37 It's quite often the same people, the same with the dealing, the drug dealing, drinking

01:44 alcohol out in the streets, it's the same people, it's the same crowds, and it just

01:48 kind of drags the whole atmosphere down.

01:50 So I think that's a general consensus among most people within this area.

01:56 And in terms of business, what's it like for yourself at the moment, the business environment

02:01 here?

02:02 For me personally, survive.

02:03 You survive here.

02:04 No chance of getting rich around here.

02:05 Don't get me wrong, you want to see the place succeed, you want to see the town thrive,

02:14 you want to see local businesses thrive, and some of us are kind of working together to

02:19 make that a possibility, but without that kind of support at a higher level, it's difficult.

02:32 What do you think of how the council's performing?

02:34 Are you happy or not?

02:37 I couldn't give an 100% answer on that, because it's easy to be critical.

02:44 I kind of know the mercy of the government higher up the chain with regards to planning

02:51 and stuff like that.

02:52 Your trust is goody-armless.

02:53 I think there's definitely a lack of visibility.

02:57 For me personally, I think there's a bit of a disconnect.

03:04 I don't know the personal circumstances, I don't really live in the area.

03:08 I don't see many of them shopping around here.

03:11 You do have to live or work in the area, don't you, one or the other.

03:18 It's a difficult one.

03:20 It's easy to say they could always do more, and they probably could do a lot more, certainly

03:23 engage a lot more, be a bit more up front, a bit more clear on their intentions and what

03:31 their policies are.

03:33 You'll be voting?

03:35 Oh, I'll be voting, yeah.

03:37 What will be the things that influence your vote?

03:41 Well, to be honest with you, I'll probably go down the reform route.

03:45 I think there needs to be changes.

03:48 That's kind of where I'm at at the moment.

03:50 Have you voted in the past?

03:51 Have you voted for the bigger parties?

03:53 I'm not worried.

03:54 Not because I don't want to, I just don't feel...

03:56 Now, I mean in the past, when you voted before, how have you voted before?

04:00 I've voted for different parties before.

04:02 So you're not party political, yeah.

04:04 Yeah, yeah.

04:05 But again, I've not voted for a long time, because for me they're all singing from the

04:10 same song sheet.

04:12 Our hymn sheet just has a different name.

04:15 Because I live in the U-tree, buses to get to town and stuff, and basically the speed

04:21 limits and stuff around the area, because we keep having motorbikes drive up and down

04:25 all ends of the night.

04:27 The day wakes him up, and it's not very good.

04:29 No, of course it's not, no.

04:30 So it's more about the area, noise pollution and stuff.

04:34 And has that sort of influenced how you voted then?

04:37 Oh yeah, because I think it's Liberal Democrats who said that they'll help with the area upkeep

04:43 and all that, and the buses.

04:45 And they were saying about reducing taxes and stuff, which is good for me, but my wife

04:50 voted differently, so she always does.

04:52 Yeah, so you voted Liberal Democrat this time.

04:54 Yeah, yeah.

04:55 How have you voted before?

04:56 I don't know.

04:57 You don't bother?

04:58 I don't bother, I just look at the news, see who catches my eye, and then I vote accordingly.

05:02 What do you think of the job the council's doing at the moment?

05:04 Well, we're putting all these plants and stuff up in Walsall, which is not very good, but

05:09 we're part of Sandwell and Dudley, so they don't really do that, but Walsall, you know

05:15 all the plants they keep putting around the place, and the big thing is, spend all the

05:19 money on that, instead of spending it on potholes and stuff like that.

05:22 Well, I'm a bit undecided to be fair.

05:26 I mean, I don't like how they've sort of let a lot of the things go.

05:31 I mean, like a lot of the towns, I mean, yes I do shop outside the town, but I do buy one

05:38 or two things online, but I still like to come and have a shop.

05:42 You can't beat being out and having a look around, but I do feel that they ought to be

05:47 looking at trying to invest more in some of the towns and things, they've let everything

05:53 go.

05:54 Yeah, and what would you like to see them do specifically, because obviously they don't

05:58 have a lot of money, you know.

06:00 Well, I know they don't, but I think they ought to start tackling one or two of the

06:04 key issues, and if I'm looking at the government directly, I mean, the issue, I mean, yes I

06:11 understand why a lot of people are trying to escape from the countries where there's

06:15 a lot of war going on, but I mean, the big issue at the moment is the amount of immigrants

06:20 that we're getting over here.

06:21 We're only a small island, aren't we, we're not like Australia, you know, a vast country,

06:27 and I'm worried about, because I've got children, I'm worried about the infrastructure

06:31 of the country and how we're going to cope with it all, particularly the NHS.

06:35 Yeah, because I remember thinking more about the council elections up this way, so it's

06:39 nothing to do with the government, it's the local councils.

06:42 Well, I want them to look at doing more local investments.

06:46 I know there's been a lot going on since the COVID, and I know they've lost a lot

06:51 of money and things, but yeah, they've had to put the council tax up, but I think people

06:56 are getting a bit fed up with not seeing some of the services, and I think they need to

07:02 start looking more at that localised...

07:05 Any services in particular that would be important to you?

07:09 Well, the shopping element, and I mean, Walsall in particular used to be so vibrant, didn't it?

07:17 I mean, Park Street used to be so busy, and you just get fed up of seeing all the other

07:23 shops boarded up, and then, I mean, I shouldn't say it, but a lot of the cheaper shops.

07:28 I mean, I never thought the day would dawn when Marks and Spencer's pulled out, and

07:32 Debenhams, Woolworths, Bridgeshowers, Dawn Littlewoods, all of those.

07:36 I think they ought to try and help them have cheaper rents to get the people in, and then

07:43 I think they could start getting the town more vibrant again and the council a bit more

07:47 up on its feet.

07:48 Yeah, of course the council doesn't set the rents to its landlords generally.

07:52 Well, I think the council ought to do, like, sort of try and innovative ideas with them

07:57 and trying to work with them a bit more.

08:01 I mean, have you decided you think you'll vote on May the 2nd, or don't you know yet?

08:06 Last time I didn't vote, and that was the first time ever, because I was really, really

08:12 undecided.

08:13 I mean, this thing about the H2 as well, and now that's more government.

08:17 But the last time I voted was Conservative, and I'd always been wrong Labour before that.

08:27 When was the last time you voted?

08:30 Last year, I think it was, yeah?

08:34 The one of the...

08:35 Twenty-three, yeah.

08:36 Yeah.

08:37 This time I'm a bit undecided.

08:41 I'm still watching this space and thinking, I mean, I live in Pelsall.

08:47 Obviously, Wendy Morton, we've got Gary Perry and all of them.

08:51 They're quite active.

08:54 I probably would probably vote Conservative again.

08:57 Do you think Walsall Council has been Conservative for quite a long time now?

09:02 Do you think they've been doing a good job?

09:05 I just want them to do more.

09:07 I want them to get it more back on its feet.

09:09 I know we've had a few difficult years now, but I thought we'd have anything like the

09:13 situation with COVID.

09:15 But I think they need to, like you said, they've got probably landlords.

09:19 I mean, I'm a landlady.

09:21 I think then the council as a whole needs to try and look at Walsall now and try and

09:28 turn it round a bit.

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