Residents’ local councils reorganisation priorities revealed

Further analysis of the results of the Shape Worcestershire survey on how local councils in Worcestershire should be reorganised has been released.

Residents from across the county made more than 4,700 comments on the proposals as part of the survey, which ran throughout June, and asked for views on Government plans for Local Government Reorganisation. Several focus groups were also held in each district in Worcestershire to explore residents’ views in more detail.

Under Government plans for Local Government Reorganisation, Worcestershire County Council and the six district, borough, and city councils will be abolished on 1 April 2028. They will be replaced by either one single council for Worcestershire running all services, or two councils – one for the North and one for the South – with each authority running all services for its part of the county.

The analysis reveals a number of themes amongst residents including finance and costs, service quality, planning, housing and environmental protections, localism and representation and the role of parish and town councils.

More information is also given about why people chose their preferred option for reorganisation. In the survey, overall, 48% of people preferred creating two new unitary councils, with 29% one unitary council and 19% supporting no reorganisation at all.

The full analysis, and more information about Local Government Reorganisation in Worcestershire, is available at www.shapeworcestershire.org. 

Survey feedback, analysis and other relevant information will be taken into account before the councils formally submit their final reorganisation proposals to the Government by 28 November 2025. The Government will then decide which option to go forward with.

Councillors in Bromsgrove District, Malvern Hills District, Redditch Borough, Worcester City and Wychavon District will hold Special Council meetings to choose their preferred option on the following dates:

• Bromsgrove District Council, 3 September at 6pm
• Malvern Hills District Council, 2 September at 6pm
• Redditch Borough Council, 4 September at 7pm
• Worcester City Council, 2 September at 7pm
• Wychavon District Council 3 September at 6.15pm

Wyre Forest District Council agreed at its meeting on 26 February 2025 to support the case for one unitary council and will consider final reorganisation proposals later in the autumn.

Vic Allison, Consultation and Engagement Lead for Shape Worcestershire, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who gave their time to take part in the survey or the focus groups. We’ve released further analysis of the comments and the range of conversations we had with people. It clearly shows residents have thought carefully about the most important change to local government in more than 50 years. Residents have some very clear priorities and concerns that will need to be addressed by whichever reorganisation option the Government chooses.”