This Community Governance Review considers whether to amalgamate Guarlford Parish Council and Madresfield Parish Council to create a new, single parish council for the area. 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.
Two stages of public consultation took place between March and August 2026. The anonymised copies of the responses to these consultations can be seen on our Consultation webpage. These have now been analysed and we have made new draft recommendations based on the consultation responses, the Terms of Reference for the review, and what is required of us.
Initial Draft Recommendations proposed amalgamating the parishes to create one single parish. However, following responses to the stage 2 public consultation, which favoured maintaining separate identities for each parish but combining resources, the draft recommendations have been updated. A further stage of public consultation will be undertaken to consult on the amended draft recommendations.
The requirements of the council in the Community Governance Review are:
The Council must have regard to the need to secure that community governance within the area under review:
- reflects the identities and interests of the community in that area;
- is effective and convenient, and
- takes into account any other, non-parish, arrangements for the purposes of community representation or community engagement in the area
Read the full draft recommendations for more information, but, in summary, we are proposing:
- Recommendation: Group Guarlford Parish Council and Madresfield Parish Council, maintaining two separate civil parishes with one common parish council
- Parish name: Guarlford and Madresfield Parish Council
- Number of Councillors: 8 in total; 5 representing Guarlford and 3 representing Madresfield
- Date of first election: Thursday 6 May 2027
We are now undertaking the Stage 3 consultation on the new draft recommendations and would like to hear your views.
The deadline for responding to this consultation is midnight on Tuesday 6 October 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.