Birmingham & Black Country

Local elections 2026
Local elections 2026

What does a council do in England?

A quick guide to the different types of local authorities and the services they are responsible for.

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The video playlist

Watch our pick of standout clips from Birmingham and the Black Country

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BBC Sounds: From Birmingham & Black Country

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  1. A black and white photo of a young man in military uniform. He is wearing a cap.

  2. Alan Carr is sat down on a red settee wearing a brown jacket and grey trousers. He is sat next to judge Michelle Ogundehin, who is dressed in a cream jacket and matching skirt. They are joined by ten people, who are all contestants on the series Interior Design Masters. Sophie from Stoke on Trent is among the contestants and is second left in the photograph. She has long red hair and is wearing a yellow shirt, patterned red trousers and a brown gilet. Ben, from Kinver, is stood behind the red sofa with his arms folded, wearing a beige hoodie.

  3. Matthew Marriott pictured smiling. He has short but spiked grey hair, wears a blue blazer and blue collar shirt.

  4. Birmingham Crown Court is a large red brick building with steps leading up to an entrance covered by a large porch. There are trees and bushes either side of the entrance and to the right is a large stone grey statue depicting three heads on top of one another, getting smaller as they go up

  5. A long street with a car park on the left as well as large red brick buildings surrounded by metal fencing. On the right are red brick buildings with grey metal shutters over garages

  6. A woman in a police officer's uniform and hat grins with her arm in the air, while hugging a young blonde girl in red armbands who smiles at her.

  7. A bald man with beard stood against a light green studio wall. He is wearing a camel coloured jacket and black top

  8. Sean Egan, pictured with a neutral expression on his face. He is bald but has a dark blonde beard, he wears a black t-shirt underneath a beige jacket.

  9. A green space with grass and wildflowers with purple petals. In the distance is a blue metro tram at a tram stop

  10. Two women, a man and a child buying toys in the toy department of Rackhams, Birmingham, West Midlands. December 1974.

  11. A man and woman stand together looking at the camera. He has short grey hair and a moustache, and wears a black padded coat with a red lining and a maroom jumper underneath. His wife has blonde shoulder length hair and sunglasses on her head. She has a brown padded coat on, a cream jumper underneath and a necklace. Behind them is a row of shops and a main road.

  12. A couple pose for a picture - the woman on the left has long blonde hair and a light-pink dress. The man has short brown hair, a blue jacket and white shirt. There is an old stone building behind them.

  13. A black man sat a tram stop in a black coat and hat. He is talking to a female BBC reporter with blonde hair. She is wearing a black gillet and faded blue jeans. A blue Midlands Metro tram is passing by

  14. A small church with symmetrical blue doors and pointed arches at the front. There are several cars parked alongside the church on the road.

  15. Monty Panesar has a black headscarf on and wears black glasses. He has black facial hair and is wearing a teal coloured t-shirt with a Twickenham Cricket Club logo on its breast. It is raining around him

  16. A wooden ship's wheel and compasses on display on a fake wooden floor with a fake ship display behind it.

  17. A man with short grey hair, a short beard and mustache is wearing a blue jumper with a grey shirt underneath. He is standing in an empty restaurant which is blurred in the background and shows a black stair rail and black chairs

  18. This is a three-panel composite image made up of different scenes. Left panel: A still from a dramatic scene showing Leonardi DiCaprio and Kate Winslet standing closely together outdoors, with wind blowing and open sky behind them, a moment from the Titanic film Centre panel: A studio-style portrait of a Jeff Goldblum wearing dark-framed glasses, a black suit, and a textured shirt, set against a plain light background. Right panel: An outdoor scene in a garden or park, showing two women standing beside leafy plants, with a small sign on a post visible among the greenery.

  19. An artist's impression of the new Curzon street station, showing people outside a huge arch entrance with "Birmingham Curzon Street Station" in bold white signage.

  20. A smiling baby boy with short dark hair holds a card reading 'Today I am 11'. He is wearing a white top and is pictured against a pale grey background.

  21. A close up of a baby with short black afro hair. He is leaning to the side and smiling at the camera. In the corner there is a West Midland Police logo

  22. A woman with black hair stood in a street next to a red car

  23. A Peregrine Falcon perched in front of a tall clock tower.

  24. A composite police image of Mohammed Khan and Mohammed Haydar. Both have short dark hair, beards and moustaches.