Local Government Reorganisation

In this section

Government confirms two new councils for Worcestershire

The Government has announced local councils in Worcestershire will be reorganised into two new unitary councils.

The decision means from 1 April 2028, the seven existing county, city, borough and district councils will be abolished and replaced by:

North Worcestershire Council: covering the areas currently served by Bromsgrove District, Redditch Borough and Wyre Forest District Councils.
South Worcestershire Council: covering Malvern Hills District, Worcester City and Wychavon District Councils.

Your new unitary council will deliver all the service you rely on, including:

waste collections
roads
housing
planning
play areas, parks and green spaces
leisure centres
education
children’s services
adult social care

The Government made its decision following consultation on the proposals for local government reorganisation in Worcestershire.

Joint statement from council leaders

The Government has today confirmed plans for the future of local councils in Worcestershire.

From 1 April 2028, the county’s current seven borough, city, district and county councils will be replaced with two unitary councils: one covering North Worcestershire and one covering South Worcestershire.

The decision follows Government consultation and consideration of the two proposals submitted for reorganisation in Worcestershire.

In a joint statement, the seven leaders of Worcestershire’s councils said: “The debate is now over and we have a clear direction from the Government. Today, we come together to express our commitment to work collectively to make these new arrangements a success for residents, businesses and communities across the county.

“The decision also provides important clarity for staff across our councils, allowing us to fully focus on planning and delivering an effective transition without any negative impact on the services residents currently receive.

“Throughout this process, there have been strongly held and sincerely expressed views about the future structure of local government in Worcestershire. We recognise councils and residents have approached this debate from different perspectives.

“Now, moving forward, our shared priority will be ensuring every part of Worcestershire is properly represented and local voices continue to shape the decisions which must be made by April 2028.

“Above all, we are united in our determination to deliver high-quality, financially sustainable, transformed services that meet the needs of our communities both now and in the future.

“This is a moment of enormous change that will create exciting new opportunities but also great challenge. We will seize these with renewed purpose as we work together to build a strong and sustainable future for the people of Worcestershire.”

Cllr Karen May, Leader of Bromsgrove District Council
Cllr John Gallagher, Leader of Malvern Hills District Council
Cllr Matt Dormer, Leader of Redditch Borough Council
Cllr Lynn Denham, Leader of Worcester City Council
Cllr Matt Jenkins, Leader of Worcestershire County Council
Cllr Richard Morris, Leader of Wychavon District Council
Cllr Marcus Hart, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council

Read the Transforming Worcestershire proposal

What happens next?

The Government will introduce the legislation needed to create the two new councils, subject to Parliamentary approval.

Detailed work will then take place to establish the new councils. This will include bringing together services, staff, systems, buildings, finances and democratic arrangements.

This is the current timetable:

2026 to 2027 – councils work together to design and prepare the new councils
Jan - Feb 2027– the Government’s implementation arrangements are confirmed. This is known as a Structural Changes Order (SCO).
May 2027 – elections are expected to take place for councillors who will initially serve on the new shadow councils.
2027 to 2028 – the shadow councils oversee preparations and agree key arrangements for the new councils.
1 April 2028 – the new North Worcestershire and South Worcestershire councils are expected to take responsibility for local government services

What is a shadow council?

A shadow council is a temporary council set up to prepare for the new South Worcestershire Council before it formally takes responsibility for services.

It would bring together councillors elected to represent communities across Wychavon, Malvern Hills and Worcester. Their role would be to make the key decisions needed to establish the new council, including agreeing how it will operate, appointing senior officers, setting its first budget and preparing services for the changeover.

During this period, Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) will continue to provide our existing services. Residents should continue to contact us in the usual way until the new South Worcestershire Council officially begins operating.

What are shadow council elections?

Shadow council elections are elections to choose the councillors who will help set up and initially lead the new South Worcestershire Council.

Elections to the Shadow Council are expected to take place in May 2027. People living in Malvern Hills would vote for councillors to represent their local area on the shadow council in the usual way. Those councillors will work in the background with representatives elected in Wychavon and Worcester to oversee preparations for the new authority.

Once the new council formally takes responsibility for services, the shadow councillors will become the councillors of the new South Worcestershire Council and continue to represent their communities for the remainder of their term.

The Government will confirm the exact election date, ward boundaries and number of councillors through the legal process for creating the new council, known as the Structural Changes Order. We will publish more information for Malvern Hills residents as soon as these details are confirmed.

Keeping you informed

This is a significant change and many of the detailed arrangements have yet to be decided.

We will update this page regularly with confirmed information, answers to frequently asked questions and opportunities to get involved.

You can also sign up for our email updates to receive the latest information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Malvern Hills District Council closing immediately?

No. Malvern Hills District Council will continue to operate and provide services until the new South Worcestershire Council takes responsibility for them from 1 April 2028.
Will my bin collection, social care or other council services change?

There are no immediate changes. Please continue to use council services and contact us in the usual way. We will give residents plenty of notice if any service arrangements or contact details change in the future.
Do I need to contact the new council?

No. The new councils have not yet begun operating. Please continue to contact Malvern Hills District Council or Worcestershire County Council, depending on the service you need.
Will council tax change?

There is no immediate change to your Council Tax as a result of the announcement.

For the financial year 2027/28, Malvern and Worcestershire County Council continue to set their own Council Tax.

From 1 April 2028, Council Tax will be set by the new South Worcestershire Council for everyone across the area.

The exact detail about future Council Tax arrangements will form part of the detailed work to establish the new councils. Any confirmed changes will be communicated clearly before they take effect.
Will Malvern Hills still be represented on the new council?

The detailed electoral arrangements, including council wards and the number of councillors, will be confirmed as part of the implementation process. Malvern Hills residents will elect councillors to represent their communities on the new South Worcestershire Council in May 2027.
What will happen to town and parish councils?

Town and parish councils are separate organisations and are not being abolished as part of this reorganisation. They will continue to represent their communities and provide local services. They will also be important partners in shaping future neighbourhood and community arrangements.
Where can I find more information?

We will continue to update this page as further information is confirmed. You can also sign up to our latest news e-newsletter for regular updates.

Environmental Information Regulations

In this section

Environmental information Regulations 2004 (EIR) give the public a right of access to information held by public bodies relating to environmental topics, and places obligations on public bodies to release the information on request if it is not subject to an exception.

To make a request under EIR:

You can make a request by writing to:

Freedom of Information
Legal Department
Malvern Hills District Council
Council House
Avenue Road
Malvern
WR14 3AF

If you are unable to make the request in writing and need assistance in doing so, then please contact Legal Services on 01684 862272.

In dealing with requests for information under the Environmental Information Regulations, we are entitled to charge a reasonable amount towards the cost of reproducing the information for you in the format you have requested. To be fair and reasonable we have decided to charge the same hourly rate as we do for Freedom of Information requests.

No charge will be made to access to any public registers of environmental information held by us nor to examine (where possible) any information requested at our offices.

Our standard charges for reproducing information are set out in scale of fees document.

We will issue a ‘Fees Notice’ and will provide the requested information upon payment of the fee. If the fee is not paid within 60 working days, we will assume you no longer require the information and the request will be closed.

Refusing a request for Environmental Information

In rare cases, we may refuse a request where the cost of processing is unreasonable. We may have regard to the statutory limit for processing requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

If we consider there are exceptional circumstances, we may waive the charges of producing information.

Corporate Peer Challenge

In December 2024, we participated in a Corporate Peer Challenge run by the Local Government Association.

Corporate Peer Challenge is a tried and trusted tool for improvement offered to councils. It involves a team of senior local government officers and councillors spending time at a council to provide challenge, offer feedback and share learning.

All Corporate Peer Challenges focus on the five core components listed below:

Local priorities and outcomes
Organisational and place leadership
Governance and culture
Financial planning and management
Capacity for improvement

In addition, we asked our peer team for some feedback about our Connected Communities Strategy and the council’s approach to asset-based community development, along with some other service-based areas we think we can improve on.

During their three-day visit to Malvern Hills, the team gathered information and views from more than 45 meetings, went on two tours of parts of the district and carried out further research and reading. They spoke to more than 100 people, including employees, councillors and a range of our partners, external organisations and residents.

The peer team’s report provides a summary of the team’s findings. It is generally very positive, including comments on the approach we have adopted through our Connected Communities work, which the peer team considered to be a nationally significant Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Programme. We welcome the positive feedback and the useful areas for improvement and recommendations.

document Read the Feedback Report. (2.76 MB)

We had until mid-June 2025 to put in place an action plan to respond to the nine recommendations included in the feedback report. This action plan was approved by our Executive Committee.

Read the CPC Action Plan.

The peer team revisited us in January 2026 to assess our progress with implementing its recommendations. The team has now produced a final progress report.

pdf Read the final CPC Progress Report. (640 KB)

Media and Press Enquiries

For media and press enquiries, contact the Communications Team:

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please note the Communications Team only deal with enquiries from the media. Members of the public should contact the relevant department for their enquiry, more information can be found on the Contact Us page.

Communications Team

The MHDC Communications Team is responsible for liaising with the media, corporate communications, reputation management, social media, internal communications, website content, marketing solutions, video content, and more.

The team also design and produce the annual Malvern Hills Residents’ Magazine which promotes the wonderful work of the community, as well as the council’s services and events.

pdf Read the 2024 version of the Malvern Hills Residents’ Magazine. (17.26 MB)

To keep up to date with what is going on at Malvern Hills District Council by signing up to our email alerts and keep an eye on our Latest News section on the website.

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