Council Strategy
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- Councillor information
- Your Local Council
- Compliments and Complaints
- Environmental Information
- Freedom of Information (FOI)
- Public Notices and Consultations
- Weddings and Civil Partnerships
- Moving to Malvern
- Tackling climate change
- Browse Meetings, Minutes and Agendas
- Modern Slavery Act Statement
- Malvern Theatres £20m project
- Jobs
- Community Infrastructure Charging Levy Consultation
- Media and Press Enquiries
- Corporate Peer Challenge
Our vision is to enhance the Malvern Hills District as a destination to explore and an outstanding place to live and work.
To achieve this we have produced a Council Plan. This sets out a number of actions to be completed under our three priority areas - Our Health and Wellbeing, Our Economy and Our Environment.
The plan is updated every year. The priorities and actions for 2025/26 are also listed below:
Our Health and Wellbeing
Continue to invest to support and enable our communities to become healthier, safer and stronger
1. Accelerate the development of community hubs for wellbeing across the district by investing £4m into community assets through our Community Infrastructure Investment Plan, with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity.
2. Give our communities the tools to save lives by providing funding for defibrillators, trauma and bleed kits and training in resuscitation skills and suicide awareness.
3. Promote awareness of domestic abuse through targeted campaigns, training and protect and support victims/survivors with safe places and sanctuary schemes.
Help residents to prevent, survive and recover from financial hardship
4. Work with our resident-led commission to review our discretionary welfare assistance policy and inform our approach to allocating household support funds in 2025/26.
5. Ensure that support is available to residents to help them access essential welfare support through enhanced communication, partnership working, targeted campaigns and strengthening the network of in person support available across the district.
Preventing homelessness and rough sleeping or ensuring it is rare, brief and non- recurring
6. Maximise delivery of housing that meets local needs through a range of methods, including supporting the development of new affordable housing and a renewed focus on bringing empty homes back into use.
7. End our use of B&B accommodation in all but emergency situations by March 2027, through homelessness prevention activity to prevent crises and increasing the provision of suitable temporary accommodation in the district.
Give young people the opportunity to have a say in their communities and their future
8. Support young people to have their say and make a difference to the things that matter to them.
9. Assist young people in getting:
• Support for housing needs.
• Employment and skills.
• Support for mental health and wellbeing.
• Opportunities to engage in positive activities.
• Resources to protect themselves from harm.
Create a vibrant culture and arts community that delivers social, economic and health benefits for our residents
10. Deliver our £20million improvements to Malvern Theatres by March 2027, to create life enriching opportunities for our residents from all backgrounds.
11. Continue to support and develop community led arts and culture across the district through an independent arts network and small grants programme.
Our Economy
Enable economic growth through increased provision of suitable commercial premises
12. Work with all partners to promote a campus style redevelopment of the Malvern Hills Technology Park, QinetiQ site and Malvern Hills Science Park. In particular, achieve a start on site on Phase 6 of the Science Park as a low carbon development as early as possible and by 2027 at the latest.
13. Work with partners to deliver investment in new workspace and key employment sites, increasing overall floorspace by at least 10% on the 2023 baseline by 2028 with an emphasis on units 2,500 – 10,000 sq ft.
Support vibrant town centres and an attractive tourism offer
14. Return footfall in our towns to at least 2019 levels by 2026 and grow it by a further 10% by 2030.
15. Deliver in partnership with Worcestershire County Council, a public realm improvement scheme for Church Street and Edith Walk in Great Malvern to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility for all.
16. Adopt and implement a new five year Visitor Economy Strategy supporting the growth of tourism businesses across the district with a focus on enhancing the vibrancy of our town centres.
Ensure Malvern Hills District is recognised as a leading location for highly productive, high growth businesses
17. Achieve 65% of the workforce in higher skills employment by 2030.
18. Workplace pay at or above Worcestershire average by2030.
19. Support businesses to create 100 new apprenticeships by 2026.
20. Support at least 100 businesses per year to innovate and grow through business support programmes.
21. Secure £3million private sector investment in low carbon technology across the district by 2030.
22. Deliver a £250,000 rural grants programme building on the success of the Rural England Prosperity Fund initiative.
Our Environment
Lead Malvern Hills District Council and the wider district to become carbon neutral
23. Reduce the Council’s own greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2030 by investing in carbon reduction measures such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil in our depot fleet and renewable and low carbon energy technologies at council owned properties including the Malvern Splash, Malvern Theatres and Council Offices. Our Goal is to reduce carbon emissions as far as possible before offsetting any remaining carbon by active management of our site at Hallow and additional measures as required.
24. Lead the district by example, to become carbon neutral as soon as possible and by 2050 at the latest.
25. Work with National Grid to ensure that the electricity infrastructure across the District is capable of supporting the switch to Electric Vehicles.
Encourage low carbon development, design measures and infrastructure to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change
26. Prepare and adopt a Sustainable Buildings Supplementary Planning Document by the end of 2025 to include guidance for low carbon solutions for historic buildings.
27. Promote and support sustainable travel solutions, including low carbon, community transport and active travel.
28. Support major flood alleviation schemes including Tenbury Wells and Severn Stoke through Council funding and lobbying of Government.
29. Working with the County Council and Environment Agency, examine all options to prevent Hanley Road in Upton upon Severn from closing in times of flood.
Reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste sent to the Energy from Waste Plant from the district’s households
30. Increase recyclable waste collected at the kerbside to 50% of total waste collected by 2030 (baseline 42.1% in 2023/24) through the introduction of a separate food waste service and education/engagement campaigns.
Reduce the incidence of Environmental Crime across the District
31. Develop a scheme to connect residents of the district with trusted and licensed waste collection services, aiming to reduce fly-tipping and promote responsible waste disposal practices.
32. Launch a two-year litter reduction initiative, incorporating a variety of actions including public education, community litter pick events, enforcement measures, and active engagement with local schools to foster long-term behavioural change.