Washwood Heath is a ward in Birmingham, within the formal district of Hodge Hill, roughly two miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, England. Washwood Heath covers the areas of Birmingham that lie between Nechells, Bordesley Green, Stechford and Hodge Hill. Geography Saltley on the south-western side and Ward End on the north-eastern side of Washwood Heath are the two areas that cover the entire ward, though some parts near Nechells and Hodge Hill do not come under either of these and are simply headed under "Washwood Heath". One of the area's major employers was the railway works owned by Metropolitan-Cammell (later Alstom), but it closed in 2005. In the 2020s, Washwood Heath railway depot was to be constructed as part of the High Speed 2 project - to service and maintain the high speed trains. Demographics According to the 2001 Population Census, there were 27,822 people living in the ward with a population density of 5,335 people per km2 compared with 3,649 people per km2 for Birmingham. The area is 5.2 km2. Washwood Heath is an ethnically diverse community with 57% (15,863) of the ward's population being of an ethnic minority compared with 29.6% for Birmingham. It had been a major Irish community. Education The area is served by Washwood Heath Academy. For the younger population, there is a children's centre. Politics The ward is represented on Birmingham City Council by three councillors: Mariam Khan, Ansar Ali Khan and Mohammed Idrees, all Labour. Project Champion Project Champion was a project to install a £3m network of 169 Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras to monitor vehicles entering and leaving Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook. Its implementation was frozen in June 2010 amid allegations that the police deliberately misled councillors about its purpose, after it was revealed that it was being funded as an anti-terrorism initiative, rather than for 'reassurance and crime prevention'. Places of interest Saltley Adderley Park Adderley Park railway station Wheels Adventure Park Ward End Fox & Goose Ward End Library Washwood Heath Christadelphians Ward End Park Image Gallery The Ward End Works In 1914 the Electric & Ordnance Accessories Company Ltd (Vickers, Sons & Maxim) constructed a large factory between Common Lane and Drews Lane in the Ward End area of Washwood Heath. The Ward End Works covered an area of upon completion. A distinctive feature was the Bromford House administrative block, with its façade fronting onto Drews Lane.