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Planning

Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan

At its Executive Committee meeting on 25 June 2019 Malvern Hills District Council "made" (adopted) the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan so that it is part of the statutory Development Plan for Malvern Hills District, sitting alongside the South Worcestershire Development Plan and other material consideration in determining planning applications in the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Area.

Malvern Hills District Council endorsed the decision of the Executive Committee to make the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan at its meeting on 23 July 2019.

Malvern Town Council identified a number of minor errors in the submitted and examined Neighbourhood Plan and proposed that these be corrected prior to the Plan being published by the District Council. Planning Practice Guidance says that a local planning authority can correct errors in a Neighbourhood Plan without the need for consultation or re-examination providing it is with the consent of the qualifying body and the changes are minor which would not materially affect the policies.

Malvern Hills District Council considered each of the proposed modifications and decided that the errors would be minor (non-material) modifications which do not materially affect the policies in the plan and should be made to the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan.

To view the made Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan, amended to correct minor errors identified by the Town Council, and the Decision Statement, please follow the links below:

Alternatively hard copies of the above documents can be viewed at the following locations:

  • Malvern Hills District Council, Council House, Avenue Road, Malvern, WR14 3AF (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm)
  • Malvern Library, Graham Road, Malvern, WR14 2HU (Monday, Thursday and Friday 9am-5pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 9am-7pm and Saturday 9am-4pm).

To view the Malvern Town Council request for minor modifications to the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan and the response of Malvern Hills District Council, please follow the links below:

Referendum - 2 May 2019

A referendum on the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan was held on Thursday 2 May 2019. There was a 31.5% turn out, with 86% of the votes cast in favour of Malvern Hills District Council using the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan to help it decide planning applications in the Neighbourhood Area.

Please follow the links below to view the documentation relating to the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan Decision Statement and Referendum:

Independent Examination of the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan

Malvern Hills District (with the agreement of Malvern Town Council) appointed Christopher Collison to examine the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan.

The Examiner's Report concluded that the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan, subject to the recommended modifications, meets the Basic Conditions and can proceed to Referendum. To view the Examiner's Report, please follow the link below:

During the examination the Examiner wrote to both the District and Town Council setting out how he intended to conduct the Independent Examination.  To view the Examiner's letter on the conduct of the Independent Examination, please follow the link below:

During the examination the Examiner issued a request for clarification which set out issues where he would find further clarification helpful. To view the Examiner's request for clarification and the joint response from Malvern Hills District Council and Malvern Town Council, please follow the links below:

The Examiner wrote to the District and Town Council advising that The Conservation of Habitats and Species and Planning (Various Amendments) (England and Wales) Regulations 2018 would come into force on 28 December 2018. The effect of the Regulations with respect to the making of Neighbourhood Plans (Regulation 3) is that the basic condition "The making of the neighbourhood plan is not likely to have a significant effect on a European site or a European offshore marine site, either alone or in combination with other plans or projects" is replaced by a basic condition "the making of the neighbourhood development plan does not breach the requirements of Chapter 8 of Part 6 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017". The Examiner requested the District Council and Town Council consider this change of basic condition and advise whether or not the Malvern Town Neighbourhood Plan meets the replacement basic condition. To view the Examiner's letter and the District and Town Council's joint response, please follow the links below:

The Examiner provided an opportunity for Malvern Town Council to comment on any representations made during the Regulation 16 consultation. To view the Town Council's schedule of comments on the Regulation 16 representations, please follow the link below:

Submitted Neighbourhood Plan Consultation

Under Regulation 15 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, Malvern Town Council submitted the Malvern Neighbourhood Plan to Malvern Hills District Council on 31 October 2018.

In accordance with Regulation 16, Malvern Hills District Council undertook a public consultation from Friday 9 November 2018 until 5pm on Friday 21 December 2018, during which interested parties were invited to make comments on the draft Malvern Neighbourhood Plan.

The submitted documentation included:

  • the proposed Neighbourhood Plan
  • a map, forming part of the above Plan, identifying the area to which the proposed Neighbourhood Plan relates
  • a Consultation Statement explaining who was consulted, and how consultation comments have been addressed
  • a Basic Conditions Statement explaining how the proposed Neighbourhood Plan meets the requirements set out in legislation and environmental matters.

To view the submitted Malvern Neighbourhood Town Plan and supporting documents, please follow the links below:

This is the main document which includes policies and proposals developed by the Town Council and informed through evidence and responses from the local community.

This provides a plan showing the existing land use designations from the South Worcestershire Development Plan and those proposed in the Neighbourhood Plan.

A statement demonstrating how the Neighbourhood Plan and the process of its evolution meet the Basic Conditions requirements.

A statement setting out how the community and other stakeholders have been involved in the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan.

 

An assessment of how sustainability considerations were taken into account in the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan and how it promotes sustainable development objectives.

The District Council reviewed the HRA Screening Opinion in light of the judgement of the Court of Justice ruling in the case of 'People over Wind, Peter Sweetman v Coillte Teoranta' and the Court of Justice (Second Chamber ruling the case of Grace, Sweetman, and National Planning Appeals Board Ireland.  The District Council consider that the Screening Opinion, which was prepared in advance of the Sweetman rulings, is still valid. For further details please click the link below:

To view the responses to the Regulation 16 consultation, please follow the links below:

Draft Neighbourhood Plan Consultation - 17 November 2017 to 26 January 2018

In accordance with Regulation 14 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, Malvern Town Parish Council consulted upon their draft Neighbourhood Plan from 17 November 2017 until 26 January 2018. To view this document, please follow the link below:

Neighbourhood Area Application - Approved 22 August 2014

The District Council designated the area defined by the boundaries of Malvern Town Council as a Neighbourhood Area, under Regulation 7 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 on 22 August 2014.

Following an application made by the Town Council in May 2014, the District Council held a six week consultation, which closed on 25 July 2014.

Conservation Area Appraisals

Conservation areas are a heritage designation under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to manage the special historic or architectural character of a place. Malvern Hills has 21 Conservation Areas; to check if you are in a conservation area, please visit My Local Area website.

The Council have a programme of reviewing the conservation areas, this entails the creation or renewal of appraisals, the continued relevancy of existing boundaries and the requirement for additional controls.

Please see the table for the list of conservation areas, their appraisals and maps. If there is no appraisal connected to a conservation area, the Council, unfortunately, will have been unable to prepare one at this stage.

Conservation Area Maps 2024

Appraisals are a means of:

  • Identifying and re-assessing the special qualities of the conservation area
  • Ensuring the effectiveness of the boundaries and assess whether they should be altered
  • Engaging and consulting with the local community and businesses during the process
  • Preparing a strategy for its future management

Further help and advice

For further information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Planning Policy Monitoring

Addendum to the South Worcestershire Five Year Housing Land Supply (April 2024)

This addendum has been prepared by the South Worcestershire Councils (SWCs; namely Malvern Hills District Council, Worcester City Council and Wychavon District Council) in light of the amendments to the NPPF on 19 December 2023 and subsequent changes the PPG. Several changes have direct impacts on the SWCs’ 5YHLS. This addendum report will outline these changes in turn and provide an updated housing land supply figure.

pdf Five Year Housing Land Supply Addendum (191 KB)

South Worcestershire Five Year Housing Land Supply (December 2023)

This report provides a full explanation of the Five Year Housing Land Supply (5YHLS) calculation for the south Worcestershire Councils (SWCs; namely Malvern Hills District Council, Worcester City Council and Wychavon District Council) as required by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). It sets out the housing requirement, delivery to-date and identifies deliverable housing sites for the five year period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028. The report includes an appropriate in-depth analysis of sites with planning permission and those that are allocations in the adopted South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) to provide additional evidence about deliverability and to ensure that the supply calculation is robust.

Read the reports and accompanying appendices:

pdf Appendix 1 - Completions and commitments.pdf (2.20 MB)

pdf Appendix 2 - Developer Questionnaire.pdf (75 KB)

pdf Appendix 3 - Developer Questionnaire responses.pdf (299 KB)

pdf Appendix 4 - Lapse Rates.pdf (148 KB)

pdf Appendix 5 - Windfalls.pdf (149 KB)

pdf Five Year Housing Land Supply Report.pdf (412 KB)

Addendum to the South Worcestershire Five Year Housing Land Supply Report (April 2023)

This addendum has been prepared by the South Worcestershire Councils (SWCs) in light of a number of factors impacting the published Five Year Housing Land Supply Report December 2022 which covers the monitoring year from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022:

South Worcestershire Five Year Housing Land Supply

(December 2022)

This report provides a full explanation of the Five Year Housing Land Supply (5YHLS) calculation for the South Worcestershire Councils as required by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). It sets out the housing requirement, delivery to-date and identifies deliverable housing sites for the next five years to 31 March 2027.

The report includes an appropriate in depth analysis of sites with planning permission and those that are allocations in the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) to provide additional evidence about deliverability and to ensure that the supply calculation is robust.

Read the reports and accompanying appendices:

 

Please note that sections 12.3, 12.4 and 12.5 of the Five Year Housing Land Supply Report 2022 stated 'March 2037', which should have read 'March 2027'.

South Worcestershire Five Year Housing Land Supply Update (29 November 2022)

The South Worcestershire Councils (SWCs) have reviewed their 5 Year Housing Land Supply position for 2022.  In the light of recent appeal decisions, the SWCs are now proposing to adopt an individual district approach for the 5 Year Housing Land Supply calculation.  The result is that Malvern Hills has a 5.06 year supply, Worcester City 3.06 and Wychavon 3.68.  These figures will be used as a material consideration in determining planning applications.

The SWCs will continue to publish a joint calculation for information and monitoring purposes and will seek confirmation of this approach through the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (SWDPR) which is currently out to consultation.  The joint calculation results in 3.94 years of housing land supply across the whole SWDP area.

The full report and supporting evidence is expected to be published later this year.

Authorities' Monitoring Report

The purpose of Authorities' Monitoring Reports (AMRs), is to report progress on the local plan against the timetable and milestones set out in the Local Development Scheme (LDS), and to assess the extent to which planning policies are being implemented.

The AMR assesses whether policies are achieving their objectives and whether sustainable development is being delivered; if policies have had their intended consequences; whether policy assumptions and objectives behind policies are still relevant; and if targets set in the plan are being achieved.

Housing Land Supply Monitoring

The Housing Land Supply Monitor (previously the Housing Land Availability Monitor), is the principal information source for annual housing land supply updates within Malvern Hills District.

The HLSM contains analysis of the housing land situation as a position statement every April.

The HLSM study examines the trend in housing completions, progress in the provision of affordable housing and the contributions towards the supply of housing on previously developed land.

This report examines Malvern Hills District's supply of available and deliverable housing land, and provides an update on Malvern Hills' five year housing land supply position.

The status of each site is obtained from site surveys carried out by planning officers in the spring of each reporting year.

This report has been produced to take into account the continued work of Malvern Hills District Council, Worcester City Council and Wychavon District Council's joint working role in monitoring the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP), and tracking progress towards meeting the housing requirements of South Worcestershire from 2006 to 2030.

The Housing Land Supply Monitoring Reports and accompanying Policy Position Statements are available to view below. 

Housing Land Supply Report 2021

This report provides a full explanation of the Five Year Housing Land Supply (5YHLS) calculation for the South Worcestershire Councils as required by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). It sets out the housing requirement, delivery to-date and identifies deliverable housing sites for the next five years to 31 March 2026. The report includes an appropriate in depth analysis of sites with planning permission and those that are allocations in the South Worcestershire Development Plan(SWDP) to provide additional evidence about deliverability and to ensure that the supply calculation is robust.

Read the reports and accompanying appendices:

pdf Five Year Housing Land Supply Report 2021 (444 KB)

pdf Appendix 1: Completions (206 KB)

pdf Appendix 2: Commitments (495 KB)

pdf Appendix 3: Large Sites Officer Commentary (646 KB)

pdf Appendix 4: Deliverability Questionnaire (88 KB)

pdf Appendix 5: Deliverability Questionnaire Responses (536 KB)

pdf Appendix 6: Lapse Rate (117 KB)

pdf Appendix 7: Windfalls (15 KB)

Employment Land Monitoring

The Employment Land Availability (ELA) Monitor is the principle source of information for reporting on employment land development within Malvern Hills District each year and contributes to the District Council's primary monitoring document, the Authority Monitoring Report (AMR).

The ELA is used to assess progress towards meeting the employment land allocation requirement for Malvern Hills District as part of the now adopted South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP).

The report outlines the details of individual employment sites with the benefit of planning permission that have either been constructed, are under construction or remain outstanding and reports on the overall supply of available employment land in the district for the monitoring year. The status of each site is obtained from individual site checks carried out by planning officers in the spring of each year.

Employment sites are those that fall within Class B of the Use Classes Order and are defined as Class B1 – Business (including offices not within Class A2, research and development, studios, laboratories, hi technology uses and light industry); Class B2 –General industry; and Class B8 – Storage or Distribution (wholesale warehouses, repositories).

The published Employment Land Monitoring Reports since 2008/09 can be downloaded via the links below:

Other Monitoring Reports of Interest

Worcestershire County Economic Assessment.

The assessment provides local authorities, businesses and partners with a comprehensive picture of local economic conditions and priorities.

The report contains key facts, figures and analysis that will help businesses, the public sector and other organisations.

Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan

At its meeting on 24 September 2019, Malvern Hills District Council "made" (adopted) the Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan so that it is part of the statutory Development Plan for Malvern Hills District, sitting alongside the South Worcestershire Development Plan and other material considerations in determining planning applications in the parishes of Broadwas and Cotheridge.

To view the made Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan and Decision Statement, please follow the links below:

pdf Broadwas and Cotheridge Parish Neighbourhood Plan, Made 24 September 2019 (2.23 MB)
pdf Broadwas and Cotheridge Parish Neighbourhood Plan, Decision Statement (61 KB)

Alternatively, hard copies of the above documents can be viewed at the following locations:

  • Malvern Hills District Council, Council House, Avenue Road, Malvern, WR14 3AF (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm)
  • Malvern Library, Graham Road, Malvern, WR14 2HU (Monday, Thursday and Friday 9am-5pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 9am-7pm and Saturday 9am-4pm)

Referendum – 1 August 2019

A Referendum on the Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan was held on Thursday 1 August 2019. There was a 35.7% turn out, with 84% voting in favour of Malvern Hills using the Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan to help it decide planning applications in the Neighbourhood Area.

To view the associated documentation, please use the links below:

pdf Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan (Referendum Version) (1.36 MB)

pdf Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan Decision Statement (325 KB)

pdf Broadwas and Cotheridge Referendum Information Statement (782 KB)

pdf General information on Town and Country Planning including Neighbourhood Planning and the Referendum (79 KB)

Examiner's Report - May 2019

Malvern Hills District Council (with the agreement of Broadwas and Cotheridge Parish Council) appointed Chris Collison to examine the Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan. The Examiner conducted the examination through consideration of written representations.

The Examiner's Report concluded that the Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan, subject to the recommended modifications, meets the Basic Conditions and can proceed to referendum. To view the Examiner's Report, please follow the link below:

During the examination the Examiner wrote to the District and Parish Councils setting out how he intended to conduct the Independent Examination. To view the Examiner's letter on the conduct of the Independent Examination, please follow the link below:

The Examiner advised that a revised Basic Condition has been introduced by the Conservation of Habitats and Species and Planning (Various Amendments) (England and Wales) Regulations 2018 which came into force on 28 December 2018. The Examiner invited the District and Parish Councils to consider whether the Neighbourhood Plan meets the revised Basic Condition. To view the District and Parish Council's response, please follow the link below:

The Examiner also provided an opportunity for Broadwas and Cotheridge Parish Council to comment on any representations made during the Regulation 16 consultation. To view the parish Council's response, please follow the link below:

Submitted Neighbourhood Plan Consultation - Friday 15 February 2019 to 5pm on Friday 29 March 2019

Under Regulation 15 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, Broadwas and Cotheridge Parish Council submitted the Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan to Malvern Hills District Council on 20 January 2019. In accordance with Regulation 16, Malvern Hills District Council undertook a public consultation from Friday 15 February 2019 until 5pm on Friday 29 March 2019, during which interested parties were invited to make comments on the draft Broadway and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan.

The submitted documentation includes:

  • the proposed Neighbourhood Plan;
  • a map, forming part of the above Plan, identifying the area to which the proposed Neighbourhood Plan relates;
  • a Consultation Statement explaining who was consulted, and how consultation comments have been addressed; and
  • a Basic Conditions Statement, explaining how the proposed Neighbourhood Plan meets the requirements set out in legislation and environmental matters.

To view the submitted Broadwas and Cotheridge Neighbourhood Plan and supporting documents, please follow the links below:

To view the responses to the Regulation 16 consultation, please follow the links below:

Malvern Hills District Council has collated all the responses and forwarded them on to an independent examiner, who will consider the responses and the Plan documents when assessing whether the Neighbourhood Plan meets the relevant legislation and can therefore proceed to referendum.

Draft Neighbourhood Plan Consultation - 17 September to 29 October 2018

In accordance with Regulation 14 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, Broadwas and Cotheridge Parish Council consulted upon their draft Neighbourhood Plan from 17 September until 29 October 2018. To view this document, please follow the link below:

Neighbourhood Area Application – Approved 20 June 2017

Following an application made by the Parish Council in May 2017, the District Council designated the parishes of Broadwas and Cotheridge as a Neighbourhood Area, under Regulation 7 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 on 20 June 2017.

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Malvern Hills 2015 - by Jan Sedlacek
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Malvern Hills 2015 - by Jan Sedlacek