Wychavon

Non-metropolitan district in England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wychavon (/ˈwɪtʃ.eɪvən/)[3] is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. The largest towns therein are Evesham and Droitwich Spa; the council is based in the town of Pershore. The district also includes numerous villages and surrounding rural areas, and includes part of the Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The district's name references the Saxon Kingdom of Hwicce and the River Avon. The population in 2024 was 138,017.

Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
Quick facts Sovereign state, Constituent country ...
Wychavon District
Non-metropolitan district
Evesham, the district's largest town
Evesham, the district's largest town
Wychavon shown within Worcestershire
Wychavon shown within Worcestershire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionWest Midlands
Non-metropolitan countyWorcestershire
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQPershore
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyWychavon District Council
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet (Conservative)
 • MPsHarriett Baldwin (Conservative)
Chris Bloore (Labour)
Nigel Huddleston (Conservative)
Area
 • Total
256.2 sq mi (663.5 km2)
 • Rank50th (of 296)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
138,017[1]
 • Rank177th (of 296)
 • Density538.8/sq mi (208.0/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[2]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[2]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code47UF (ONS) />E07000238 (GSS)
OS grid referenceSO9445346235
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The neighbouring districts are Malvern Hills, Worcester, Wyre Forest, Bromsgrove, Redditch, Stratford-on-Avon, Cotswold, and Tewkesbury.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[4]

The name Wychavon was coined for the new district. "Wych" phonetically recalls the Saxon Kingdom of Hwicce, and "Avon" is for the River Avon.[5]

Abolition

Under current local government reorganisation plans, all district councils in Worcestershire, as well as the county council, will be abolished in 2028, with the district forming part of a new South Worcestershire unitary authority, also including the area of the Worcester and Malvern Hills districts.[6]

Governance

Quick facts Type, Leadership ...
Wychavon District Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Gregory Wilkins,
Conservative
since 14 May 2025[7]
Richard Morris,
Conservative
since 14 May 2025
Vic Allison
since 1 August 2020[8]
Structure
Seats43 councillors
Graph of the party split among 43 seats.
Political groups
Administration (26)
  Conservative (26)
Other parties (17)
  Liberal Democrats (8)
  Green (6)
  Reform (1)
  Labour (1)
  Independent (1)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Pershore Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, WR10 1PT
Website
www.wychavon.gov.uk
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Wychavon District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Worcestershire County Council.[9] The whole district is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[10]

Since 2014 the council has shared a chief executive and other staff with neighbouring Malvern Hills District Council.[11]

Droitwich Spa, the district's second-largest town
Pershore, known for Pershore Abbey is the third-largest settlement and the administrative centre of the district

Political control

The council has been under Conservative majority control since 1999.

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. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[12][13][14]

More information Party in control, Years ...
Party in controlYears
Independent1974–1983
No overall control1983–1987
Conservative1987–1995
No overall control1995–1999
Conservative1999–present
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Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1999 have been:

More information Councillor, Party ...
CouncillorPartyFromTo
John Grantham[15]Liberal DemocratsMay 1999
Malcolm Meikle[16][17]ConservativeMay 199919 May 2003
Martin Jennings[17][18]Conservative19 May 2003May 2007
Paul Middlebrough[19][20]Conservative22 May 200720 May 2015
Linda Robinson[21][22]Conservative20 May 2015Oct 2018
Bradley Thomas[23][24]Conservative7 Nov 201818 Oct 2023
Christopher Day[25][26]Conservative18 Oct 202314 May 2025
Richard Morris[7]Conservative14 May 2025
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Composition

Following the 2023 election,[27] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to June 2025, the composition of the council was:[28]

More information Party, Councillors ...
Party Councillors
Conservative 27
Liberal Democrats 8
Green 6
Labour 1
Independent 1
Total 43
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The next election is due in 2027.[28]

Elections

See also: Wychavon District Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 43 councillors representing 27 wards, each electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[29]

Premises

The council is based at Pershore Civic Centre on Queen Elizabeth Drive, which was purpose-built for the council in 1991. The council also maintains offices in Droitwich and Evesham.[30]

Civil parishes

Further information: List of civil parishes in Worcestershire

The whole district is divided into 73 civil parishes, of which 66 have parish councils and 7 have parish meetings. The parish councils for Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Pershore have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Broadway is a post town, but has not been declared a town by its parish council.[31] The Wychavon district includes the following civil parishes:

References

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