Wyre Forest
Non-metropolitan district
Kidderminster, the largest town in the district.
Kidderminster, the largest town in the district.
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
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet (Conservative)
 • MPMark Garnier
Area
 • Total75.4 sq mi (195.4 km2)
 • Rank147th (of 296)
Population
 (2021 Census)
 • Total101,600
 • Rank237th (of 296)
 • Density1,300/sq mi (520/km2)
 • Ethnicity
98.2% White
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. The district includes the towns of Kidderminster, Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley, along with several villages and surrounding rural areas. The district is named after the ancient woodland of Wyre Forest.

The neighbouring districts are Bromsgrove, Wychavon, Malvern Hills, Shropshire and South Staffordshire.

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:[1]

The new district was named after the ancient woodland of Wyre Forest, much of which lies within the area.[2]

Since 2011, Wyre Forest has formed part of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.

Governance

Wyre Forest District Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Chris Rogers,
Conservative
since 17 May 2023
Marcus Hart,
Conservative
since 17 May 2023
Ian Miller
since December 2009[3]
Structure
Seats33 Councillors
Political groups
Administration (20)
  Conservative (20)
Other parties (13)
  Independent (6)
  Labour (4)
  Liberal Democrats (2)
  Green (1)
Elections
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
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.[4]

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:[5][6][7][8][9]

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:[10][11]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Graham Smith[12] Labour19741975
Malcolm Cooper[13] Conservative19751979
Anthony Batchelor[14] Liberal1979May 1983
Graham Ballinger[15] Conservative19831984
Anthony Batchelor Liberal19841985
Mike Oborski Liberal19851986
Gilbert Edwards Liberal19861989
Jamie Shaw[16] Labour19891994
Jane Bonnick[17][18] Liberal Democrats1994Oct 1995
Jamie Shaw[19][20] Labour19961999
(no leader)19992000
Mike Oborski[21][22] Liberal200015 May 2002
Liz Davies[23] Health Concern15 May 200214 May 2003
Howard Martin[24] Health Concern14 May 200313 Jun 2004
Stephen Clee Conservative30 Jun 200416 May 2007
John Campion Conservative16 May 20072 Apr 2014
Marcus Hart Conservative2 Apr 201422 May 2019
Graham Ballinger Health Concern22 May 201912 May 2021
Helen Dyke[17] Independent12 May 202117 May 2023
Marcus Hart Conservative17 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[25]

Party Councillors
Conservative20
Independent6
Labour4
Liberal Democrats2
Green1
Total 33

The next election is due in 2027.

Premises

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.[26] 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 Civic Centre on New Street in Stourport-on-Severn, which had been completed in 1966 for the old Stourport-on-Severn Urban District Council.[27]

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.[28]

Wards

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

The wards are:[28]

  • 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.[29]

Demography

In Wyre Forest, the population size has increased by 3.7%, from around 98,000 in 2011 to 101,600 in 2021.[30]

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".[31]

Schools

There are five secondary schools within the district.

Media

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  2. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  3. ↑ "New chief exec for district council". Kidderminster Shuttle. 23 October 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  5. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  6. ↑ "Wyre Forest". BBC News. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Land, Jon (11 December 2009). "Huge boost for Labour in latest council by-elections". 24dash.com. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "local elections 2010". theguardian.com. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Tories take total control of Wyre Forest Council". The Shuttle. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "Council minutes". Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Past Leaders of Wyre Forest District Council". Wyre Forest District Council. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  12. ↑ Alston, Trevor (12 December 1974). "Groups ready for a battle to stop the West Orbital route". Birmingham Post. p. 21. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  13. ↑ "Parties' musical chairs". Birmingham Post. 21 April 1976. p. 24. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "Jobs are the big issue in carpet country". Evening Mail. Birmingham. 30 May 1983. p. 7. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "Warning of 6p rate rise next year". Sandwell Evening Mail. West Bromwich. 20 September 1983. p. 19. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  16. ↑ "Council faces £1m shortfall". Sandwell Evening Mail. West Bromwich. 10 December 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  17. 1 2 Rawlins, Jack (13 May 2021). "Helen Dyke appointed as Wyre Forest District Council leader". The Shuttle. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  18. ↑ "Leader resigns". Birmingham Mail. 12 October 1995. p. 5. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  19. ↑ Gray, Chris (4 May 1996). "Labour gains spark loony left warning". Birmingham Post. p. 1. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  20. ↑ "Wyre Forest Labour 'horrified' by James Shaw's child sex crime". Kidderminster Shuttle. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  21. ↑ Meadowcroft, Michael (5 April 2007). "Mike Oborski". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  22. ↑ "Town suffers from 18-mile factor". Worcester News. 14 March 2002. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  23. ↑ "Health party takes control". Worcester News. 9 May 2002. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  24. ↑ "New man at the helm". Worcester News. 15 May 2003. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  25. ↑ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  26. ↑ "New £10.5m Wyre Forest District Council HQ to open its doors". The Shuttle. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  27. ↑ "History of the Civic". The Civic Stourport. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  28. 1 2 "The Wyre Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2015/70, retrieved 7 July 2023
  29. ↑ Klensch, Sabine (7 May 2010). "General election 2010: Tories gain Wyre Forest from independent Taylor". politics.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  30. ↑ "How the population changed in Wyre Forest, Census 2021 - ONS". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  31. ↑ "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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