The district formed in 1998 had different boundaries from the 1974–1998 district. In the 2021 census the population of the Malvern Hills district was 79,973.
On 1 April 1998 the county of Hereford and Worcester was abolished, being split into a unitary authority of Herefordshire and a two-tier non-metropolitan county of Worcestershire. The parishes from Malvern Hills district which had been the rural districts of Bromyard and Ledbury prior to 1974 were transferred to the new Herefordshire authority, whilst the parishes which had been the old Tenbury Rural District were added to Malvern Hills District from the abolished Leominster District.[2] As such, the boundary between Worcestershire and Herefordshire as re-established in 1998 is almost identical to the pre-1974 boundary, the only exception being a small area containing Park Wood which had been transferred from Mathon to West Malvern in 1986 and so went to Malvern Hills district and Worcestershire rather than Herefordshire.[3] Following the boundary changes in 1998, the hills after which the district is named now lie principally along its western edges.
Since 2014 the council has shared a chief executive and other staff with neighbouring Wychavon District Council.[8]
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since 2019. Since 2020 the administration has been a coalition of the independents and Greens.[9][10]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1974. A shadow authority was again elected in 1997 ahead of the significant district boundary changes which came into effect on 1 April 1998. Political control of the district council since 1974 has been as follows:[11][12]
The independents all sit together as the "Democratic Independent" group, which forms the council's administration with the Greens.[32] The next election is due in 2027.[33]
Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 31 councillors representing 18 wards, each electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[34]
Premises
Council House (completed 1880), situated in Priory Park, Great Malvern
The council is based at the Council House on Avenue Road in Malvern.[35] It was built between 1874 and 1880 as a house. It later served as a school from 1909 until 1925, when it was bought by the former Malvern Urban District Council and converted to become their headquarters, passing to Malvern Hills District Council on its creation in 1974.[36]
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 whole district is divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for Malvern, Tenbury and Upton-upon-Severn have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council".[37]
Two motorways pass through the Malvern Hills District, the M5 and M50, with the M50 passing through the village of Pendock. There are also multiple A roads that pass through the Malvern Hills District, including the A449 which passes through the biggest town in the Malvern Hills District, Malvern, the A4103 which passes through Leigh Sinton and Bransford before leaving the Malvern Hills District and entering the city of Worcester, the A44 which enters through Worcester and passes through Cotheridge and Broadwas, and the A456 which passes through Mamble and Newnham Bridge.
↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Malvern Hills" in search box to see specific results.)
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