Community Governance Review - Madresfield Parish and Guarlford Parish

This review will consider whether to amalgamate Guarlford Parish Council and Madresfield Parish Council to create a new, single parish council for the area.

Parish councils are the most local level of government. They represent a small community, such as a village, town or rural area. They manage local facilities, comment on planning applications and raise a small council tax precept.

Information about the Community Governance Review process and background information about both parish councils, including the Terms of Reference for the review, can be read on our Consultation webpage.

We would like to hear your views. The original deadline for responding to this consultation was midnight on Monday 4th May. This has now been extended to midnight on Thursday 14th May 2026.

Please note that Consultation responses will be anonymised and published for public inspection. Malvern Hills District Council’s privacy notice is available from Privacy Policy.

1. About you:

Your name:
Your address:
Your postcode

2. In what capacity are you completing the consultation?:

3. Your organisation name (if applicable):

4. Guarlford and Madresfield are currently two independent parish councils. The parish councils have requested that a review is undertaken to see if there is a case for merging the parishes to create one single, new parish council covering both areas. Parish councils should reflect local identities and interests in the community and should be effective and convenient local governance. Which option would you support?

Keep two separate parish councils
Merge (amalgamate) two parish councils to create a single parish
Other (please specify):

5. Please add any comments on your preferred option. You may wish to include comments on community cohesion, local identities, the geography of the local area or how your preferred option will deliver effective and convenient local governance.

6. If the parish councils were merged, how many parish councillors should the new parish have? The legal minimum is 5, there is no maximum. The National Association of Local Councils suggest a working minimum of 7. There are currently 5 parish councillors in Madresfield and 7 in Guarlford.

5
7
12
Other (please specify):

1. About you:

2. In what capacity are you completing the consultation?:

3. Your organisation name (if applicable):

5. Please add any comments on your preferred option. You may wish to include comments on community cohesion, local identities, the geography of the local area or how your preferred option will deliver effective and convenient local governance.

6. If the parish councils were merged, how many parish councillors should the new parish have? The legal minimum is 5, there is no maximum. The National Association of Local Councils suggest a working minimum of 7. There are currently 5 parish councillors in Madresfield and 7 in Guarlford.

7. Is there anything else you would like to add about your parish, community, or local governance?