Malvern Hills District

In 1974 the district of Malvern Hills was created from the former districts of Bromyard Rural District and Ledbury Rural District in Herefordshire, along with Malvern Urban District and Martley Rural District and Upton upon Severn Rural District in Worcestershire.

Upton-on-Severn, is the third-largest settlement in the district and lies close to the Gloucestershire border.

The current boundaries were formed on 1 April 1998 when the county of Hereford and Worcester (which had been created in 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972) reverted, with some border changes, to the two former counties of Worcestershire and Herefordshire. The new Malvern Hills district boundary was formed from parts of the existing districts of Malvern Hills and Leominster. The remainder of these districts became part of Herefordshire. The 1998 boundary changes added Tenbury Wells to the district, but Bromyard and Ledbury were transferred to the newly created Herefordshire Council.

Malvern Hills is a non-metropolitan district of the county of Worcestershire and comprises 68 civil parishes (list). The district is divided into 22 electoral wards.[1] The local authority is Malvern Hills District Council, which meets and has its offices at Council House in Great Malvern, and which shares management and increasingly staff with neighbouring Wychavon District Council.[2]

The council consists of 31 councilors, representing 18 electoral wards. The Council is currently under a Independent-Green administration but in elections is considered as having No Overall Control (NOC). Prior to this, the Conservative party had overall control of the council until 2019. Councilors are elected to four year terms.

Council House (built 1874), situated in Priory Park, Great Malvern

The Malvern Hills themselves form the border between, and offer scenic views over, the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The district includes approximately half of the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (prior to the 1998 alterations to its boundary, it covered most of the AONB). The district bounds onto the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire, as well as the Worcestershire districts of Wychavon, Worcester and Wyre Forest.

Malvern Hills in Hereford and Worcester, 1974–1998

The River Teme is famous for its fishing and runs across the northern half of the district, from Tenbury Wells, to its confluence with the River Severn near Worcester, close to the site of the Battle of Worcester. Historically, the Teme Valley was famous for its orchards and hop yards, though these declined during the second half of the 20th century, with some revival since c. 2000. The River Severn forms the eastern boundary of the district (with Wychavon) between Stourport and Worcester, whilst to the south of Worcester the district includes parishes to the east of the Severn; the river is also popular with anglers and has public navigation rights.

The area has a significant spa heritage and Malvern water is bottled and distributed commercially worldwide. The spa buildings (The Pump Rooms) survive at Tenbury Wells and many free spring water sources are available to the public in and around Malvern. In the east of the district is Croome Court, a significant National Trust property.

In May 2006, a report[4] commissioned by British Gas showed that housing in Malvern Hills produced the 6th highest average carbon emissions in the country at 7,329 kg of carbon dioxide per dwelling.

• Malvern Hills District Council elections
• Malvern Hills Conservators

• Malvern Hills District Council official web site

52.18°N 2.34°W / 52.18; -2.34