[1] Although the first major housing developments around Hateley Heath took place in the Heath Lane area during 1930s when private builders built houses within the boundary of West Bromwich, the largest section of Hateley Heath was developed during the late 1940s and early 1950s within the boundaries of West Bromwich and neighbouring Wednesbury, when mass council house building took place.
The new homes were initially very popular with their occupants, who appreciated modern facilities such as indoor toilets, bathrooms, running water, electricity and gardens.
By the 1980s, Hateley Heath was plagued by high unemployment and crime, and the condition of the housing was deteriorating.
In January 1992, an Express & Star report claimed that Hateley Heath had some of the worst crime rates in the region.
However, parts of the nearby towns of Smethwick and Tipton had an even higher unemployment rate at this time, when Britain was in recession.
Most of the remaining homes have been comprehensively refurbished, while a small section of the northern part of the estate was demolished in the early 2010s.