Bromsgrove District
Non-metropolitan district in England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bromsgrove District | |
|---|---|
Bromsgrove, the largest settlement and administrative centre of the district. | |
 Bromsgrove shown within Worcestershire | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Non-metropolitan county | Worcestershire |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district |
| Admin HQ | Bromsgrove |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | Bromsgrove District Council |
| • Leadership | Leader & Cabinet (No overall control) |
| • MPs | Bradley Thomas [1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 83.8 sq mi (217.0 km2) |
| • Rank | 139th (of 296) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 101,685 |
| • Rank | 246th (of 296) |
| • Density | 1,214/sq mi (468.6/km2) |
| Ethnicity (2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion (2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ONS code | 47UB (ONS) E07000234 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | SO9604870812 |
Bromsgrove is a local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England. It is named after its only town, Bromsgrove, where its council is based, but also includes several villages and surrounding rural areas. It borders the built-up area of Birmingham to the north. Other places in the district include Alvechurch, Aston Fields, Belbroughton, Catshill, Clent, Hagley, Rubery, Stoke Prior and Wythall. The population at the 2021 census was 99,475.
The neighbouring districts are Redditch, Wychavon, Wyre Forest, South Staffordshire, Dudley, Birmingham, Solihull and Stratford-on-Avon.
History
The town of Bromsgrove had been governed by improvement commissioners from 1846,[3] who were replaced by an elected local board in 1859,[4] which in turn was converted into an urban district council in 1894.[5]
The modern district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time:[6]
- Bromsgrove Urban District
- Bromsgrove Rural District
The new district was named Bromsgrove after its largest settlement.[7]
Governance
Bromsgrove District Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
John Leach since 2025[9] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 31 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Parkside, Market Street, Bromsgrove, B61 8DA | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Bromsgrove District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Worcestershire County Council.[10] Much of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government for their areas.[11]
Bromsgrove forms part of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. Since 2008 the council has developed shared working arrangements with neighbouring Redditch Borough Council, with the two organisations sharing a chief executive, management team and other staff.[12]
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election, being run by an administration comprising the Conservatives and most of the independents, led by Conservative councillor Karen May.[13]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing councils before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows:[14][15]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1974–1995 | |
| Labour | 1995–1999 | |
| Conservative | 1999–2023 | |
| No overall control | 2023–present | |
Leadership
The leaders of the council since 1987 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Chattin[16][17] | Conservative | May 1987 | ||
| Rita Taylor[18][19] | Conservative | 1987 | May 1992 | |
| Nick Psirides[19][20] | Conservative | May 1992 | May 1995 | |
| Trevor Porter[21][22] | Labour | May 1995 | May 1999 | |
| Nick Psirides[23][24] | Conservative | May 1999 | May 2002 | |
| Dennis Norton[24][25] | Conservative | May 2002 | 26 Sep 2005 | |
| Roger Hollingworth[26][27][28] | Conservative | 19 Oct 2005 | 14 May 2014 | |
| Margaret Sherrey[27][29] | Conservative | 14 May 2014 | 29 Jun 2016 | |
| Geoff Denaro[30][31] | Conservative | 20 Jul 2016 | 22 May 2019 | |
| Karen May[32] | Conservative | 22 May 2019 | ||
Composition
Following the 2023 election,[33] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to July 2025, the composition of the council was:[34]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 11 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 7 | |
| Labour | 6 | |
| Independent | 7 | |
| Total | 31 | |
Five of the independent councillors sit together as the "2025 Independents" group, and the other two form the "Bromsgrove Independents" group. All cabinet positions are held by Conservatives or members of the Bromsgrove Independents group.[35] The next election is due in 2027.[34]
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 31 councillors representing 30 wards, with each ward electing one councillor except Belbroughton and Romsley ward which elects two. Elections are held every four years.[36]
Premises
The council is based at Parkside, at the corner of Market Street and Stourbridge Road.[37] The building was formerly the Parkside School, built in 1912.[38] The school moved to a new building in 2008. The old building was subsequently converted and extended to become the council's headquarters, as well as an area office for Worcestershire County Council and new library for the town, opening in 2015.[39]
When first created in 1974 the council had inherited offices at St John's Court (then known as the Council House) from Bromsgrove Urban District Council and at 94 Birmingham Road from Bromsgrove Rural District Council.[40][41][42] The council subsequently moved to a modern office building on Burcot Lane, also called the Council House, which was formally opened in 1986.[43] It remained there until the move to Parkside in 2015. The Burcot Lane building has since been demolished.[44]
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Transport
Bromsgrove railway station is the local station for the district's centre, but there are several others within the district. Road travel, especially to Birmingham, is also important in the district.
Barnt Green railway station and Alvechurch railway station are on the line to Redditch.
Hagley railway station and Wythall railway station are also on lines leading into Birmingham, which pass through the edges of the district.
Bromsgrove is situated on Route 5 and 46 of the National Cycle Network.[45] This gives cyclists easy access to Droitwich, Redditch, Birmingham and beyond.
Parishes
Most of the district's area is covered by civil parishes, the exceptions being two separate parts of the pre-1974 Bromsgrove Urban District which have not since been added to parishes: one covering the main part of the Bromsgrove built-up area, and another around Rubery on the northern edge of the district adjoining Birmingham.[11] At the 2021 census, nearly half the district's population lived in the unparished areas. The most populous parishes are Wythall (which also contains the large village of Hollywood) and Hagley.[46] Each parish has a parish council.[47]
Population
The following table illustrates the change in the population of the area that makes up the modern district between 1801 and 2011.