Metropolitan Borough of Dudley

Metropolitan Borough of Dudley

Geography
Status:	Metropolitan borough
Region:	West Midlands
Ceremonial County:	West Midlands
Historic County:	Worcestershire, Staffordshire
Area: - Total	Ranked 223rd 97.96 km²
Admin. HQ:	Dudley
ONS code:	00CR
Demographics
Population: - Total (2007 est.) - Density	Ranked 22nd 305,400 3117 / km²
Ethnicity:	92.0% White 1.3% Mixed 4.7% Asian 1.3% Black 0.4% Chinese 0.3% Other^[1]
Politics
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council http://www.dudley.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader and Cabinet
Executive:	Conservative
MPs:	Ian Austin, Sylvia Heal, Ian Pearson, Lynda Waltho

The Metropolitan borough of Dudley is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It was created in 1974, and is made up of the towns of Dudley (where the council has its headquarters), Stourbridge, Halesowen, Brierley Hill, Amblecote, Sedgley and Coseley.

The present borough was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the old County Borough of Dudley, with the municipal boroughs of Halesowen and Stourbridge. At the same time becoming part of the metropolitan county of West Midlands. The area is historically part of the counties of Worcestershire and Staffordshire.

The council has 72 councillors, representing 24 wards. Following the 2008 local elections there were 43 Conservative councillors, 26 Labour councillors, 2 Liberal Democrat councillors, and one UK Independence Party councillor.

The Merry Hill Shopping Centre is situated in the borough.

[edit] Localities

Localities within the borough include: