Wyre Forest District

Wyre Forest
Non-metropolitan district
Kidderminster, the district's largest town and administrative centre
Kidderminster, the district's largest town and administrative centre
Wyre Forest shown within Worcestershire
Wyre Forest shown within Worcestershire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionWest Midlands
Non-metropolitan countyWorcestershire
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQKidderminster
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyWyre Forest District Council
 • MPMark Garnier
Area
 • Total
75.4 sq mi (195.4 km2)
 • Rank147th (of 296)
Population
 (2021 Census)
 • Total
101,600
 • Rank240th (of 296)
 • Density1,347/sq mi (520.0/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code47UG (ONS)
E07000239 (GSS)
OS grid referenceSO8264776847

Wyre Forest is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. It is named after the ancient woodland of Wyre Forest. The largest town is Kidderminster, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley, along with several villages and surrounding rural areas.

The district borders Bromsgrove District to the east, Wychavon to the south-east, Malvern Hills District to the south-west, Shropshire to the north-west, and South Staffordshire to the north.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of four former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[2]

The new district was named after the ancient woodland of Wyre Forest, much of which lies within the area.[3]

Since 2011, Wyre Forest has formed part of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. Wyre Forest District Council made headlines in June 2024 when it announced that it had banned bouncy castles on council-owned land because of insurance problems.[4]

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 North Worcestershire unitary authority, also including the area of the Bromsgrove and Redditch districts.[5]

Governance

Wyre Forest District Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Paul Harrison,
Conservative
since 14 May 2025[6]
Marcus Hart,
Conservative
since 17 May 2023
Ian Miller
since December 2009[7]
Structure
Seats33 Councillors
Graph of the party split among 33 seats.
Political groups
Administration (20)
    Conservative (20)
Other parties (13)
    Labour (3)
    Liberal (2)
    Green (1)
    Independent (7)
Elections
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Wyre Forest House, Finepoint Way, Kidderminster, DY11 7WF
Website
www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk

Wyre Forest District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Worcestershire County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[8]

Political control

The council has been under Conservative majority control since the 2023 election.

The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[9][10][11][12][13]

Party in controlYears
No overall control1974–1976
Conservative1976–1979
No overall control1979–1996
Labour1996–1999
No overall control1999–2002
Health Concern2002–2002
No overall control2002–2008
Conservative2008–2009
No overall control2009–2010
Conservative2010–2012
No overall control2012–2015
Conservative2015–2019
No overall control2019–2023
Conservative2023–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1974 have been:[14][15]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Graham Smith[16]Labour19741975
Malcolm Cooper[17]Conservative19751979
Anthony Batchelor[18]Liberal1979May 1983
Graham Ballinger[19]Conservative19831984
Anthony BatchelorLiberal19841985
Mike OborskiLiberal19851986
Gilbert EdwardsLiberal19861989
Jamie Shaw[20][21]Labour19891994
Jane Bonnick[21][22]Liberal Democrats19941996
Jamie Shaw[22]Labour19961999
(no leader)19992000
Mike Oborski[23]Liberal200015 May 2002
Liz Davies[24][25]Health Concern15 May 200214 May 2003
Howard Martin[25]Health Concern14 May 20032004
Stephen Clee[26]Conservative2004May 2007
John Campion[27][28]Conservative16 May 2007Mar 2014
Marcus Hart[29][30]Conservative2 Apr 201422 May 2019
Graham Ballinger[31][32]Health Concern22 May 201912 May 2021
Helen Dyke[33][34]Independent12 May 2021May 2023
Marcus Hart[35]Conservative17 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election,[36] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to April 2025, the composition of the council is:[37][38]

Party Seats
Conservative20
Labour3
Liberal2
Green1
Independent7
Total 33

The Green councillor sits in a group with the independents.[39] The next election is due in 2027.[38]

Premises

Stourport Civic Centre, New Street, Stourport-on-Severn: Council's headquarters until 2012.

The council is based at Wyre Forest House, which was purpose-built for the council and completed in 2012.[40] The building is in the parish of Stourport-on-Severn, but lies on the outskirts of Kidderminster and has a Kidderminster postal address. Prior to 2012 the council was based at the Stourport Civic Centre on New Street, which had been completed in 1966 for the old Stourport-on-Severn Urban District Council.[41]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 33 councillors representing 12 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[42]

Wards

Stourport-on-Severn, the second-largest settlement in the district.

The wards are:[42]

  • Aggborough & Spennells
  • Areley Kings & Riverside
  • Bewdley & Rock
  • Blakebrook & Habberley South
  • Broadwaters
  • Foley Park & Hoobrook
  • Franche & Habberley North
  • Lickhill
  • Mitton
  • Offmore & Comberton
  • Wribbenhall & Arley
  • Wyre Forest Rural

Wider politics

The Wyre Forest parliamentary constituency, which covers most of the district, is represented by the Conservative MP Mark Garnier. He has held the seat since the 2010 general election, when he gained it from Richard Taylor of Health Concern, who had held the seat from 2001 to 2010.[43]

Demography

In Wyre Forest, the population size has increased by 3.7%, from around 98,000 in 2011 to 101,600 in 2021.[44]

Parishes

Bewdley, best known for the Severn Valley Railway and its historic Georgian buildings is the third-largest settlement in the district

The whole district is divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for Bewdley, Kidderminster and Stourport-on-Severn take the style "town council".[45]

Schools

There are five secondary schools within the district.

Media

Television

The area is served by the regional television programmes:

Radio

Radio stations for the area are:

Newspapers

Local newspaper that served the area is The Shuttle.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Wyre Forest Local Authority (E07000239)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  3. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  4. ↑ "Council bans bouncy castles due to insurance issue". BBC News. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  5. ↑ Edwards, Tom (16 July 2026). "Worcestershire to get two new councils in north-south split". BBC News.
  6. ↑ "New Chairman at Wyre Forest District Council". Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "New chief exec for district council". Kidderminster Shuttle. 23 October 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  9. ↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Wyre Forest" in search box to see specific results.)
  10. ↑ "Wyre Forest". BBC News. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  11. ↑ Land, Jon (11 December 2009). "Huge boost for Labour in latest council by-elections". 24dash.com. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  12. ↑ "local elections 2010". theguardian.com. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Tories take total control of Wyre Forest Council". The Shuttle. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  14. ↑ "Past Leaders of Wyre Forest District Council". Wyre Forest District Council. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  15. ↑ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (2015). Wyre Forest District Election Results 1973–2012 (PDF). Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  16. ↑ Alston, Trevor (12 December 1974). "Groups ready for a battle to stop the West Orbital route". Birmingham Post. p. 21. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  17. ↑ "Parties' musical chairs". Birmingham Post. 21 April 1976. p. 24. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  18. ↑ "Jobs are the big issue in carpet country". Evening Mail. Birmingham. 30 May 1983. p. 7. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  19. ↑ "Warning of 6p rate rise next year". Sandwell Evening Mail. West Bromwich. 20 September 1983. p. 19. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  20. ↑ "Who controls your council". Sunday Mercury. Birmingham. 22 April 1990. p. 12. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  21. 1 2 "Lib Dem advance in Wyre Forest". Wolverhampton Express and Star. 6 May 1994. p. 12. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  22. 1 2 "History Makers!". Black Country Evening Mail. 3 May 1996. p. 8. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  23. ↑ Meadowcroft, Michael (5 April 2007). "Mike Oborski". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  24. ↑ "Health party takes control". Worcester News. 9 May 2002. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  25. 1 2 "New man at the helm". Worcester News. 15 May 2003. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  26. ↑ "Council's leader steps down". Express and Star. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  27. ↑ "Council minutes, 16 May 2007" (PDF). Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  28. ↑ "Wyre Forest District Council leader steps down". Kidderminster Shuttle. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  29. ↑ "Council minutes, 2 April 2014" (PDF). Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  30. ↑ Madeley, Peter (8 May 2019). "New 'progressive alliance' to run Wyre Forest Council". Express and Star. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  31. ↑ "Council minutes, 22 May 2019" (PDF). Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  32. ↑ Farrington, Dayna (25 February 2021). "Leader of Wyre Forest District Council to step down from role in May". Express and Star. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  33. ↑ Rawlins, Jack (13 May 2021). "Helen Dyke appointed as Wyre Forest District Council leader". The Shuttle. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  34. ↑ Madeley, Peter (7 May 2023). "Leader vows to 'get the basics right' as Tories take over Wyre Forest in rare council gain". Express and Star. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  35. ↑ "Council minutes, 17 May 2023" (PDF). Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  36. ↑ Voce, Antonio; Leach, Anna; Hoog, Niels de; Torpey, Paul; Clarke, Seán (9 May 2023). "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  37. ↑ Rawlins, Jack (2 February 2024). "Wyre Forest Labour leader Leigh Whitehouse quits party". The Shuttle. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  38. 1 2 "Wyre Forest". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  39. ↑ "Independent and Green group". Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  40. ↑ "New £10.5m Wyre Forest District Council HQ to open its doors". The Shuttle. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  41. ↑ "History of the Civic". The Civic Stourport. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  42. 1 2 "The Wyre Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2015/70, retrieved 7 July 2023
  43. ↑ Klensch, Sabine (7 May 2010). "General election 2010: Tories gain Wyre Forest from independent Taylor". politics.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  44. ↑ "How the population changed in Wyre Forest, Census 2021 - ONS". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  45. ↑ "Town and parish councils". Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 7 July 2023.

52°23′20″N 2°15′18″W / 52.389°N 2.255°W / 52.389; -2.255

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