The Malvern Hills District Local Plan formally adopted 12th July 2006

What is a Local Plan?

The Malvern Hills District Local Plan provides the detailed framework for the future development of the district and addresses the period 1996 to 2011.

It is a statutory document prepared under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). It will play a vital role in both guiding long term decisions about the future of the district and day to day development control decisions about individual planning and other applications. The Local Plan will also allocate specific sites for development, set out criteria by which planning applications are assessed and address a wide range of community and environmental issues.

The adopted Local Plan has replaced the Malvern Hills District Local Plan 1999 and the Tenbury Area Local Plan.

It forms part of the council's Local Development Framework

Saved Local Plan Policies

The current Malvern Hills Local plan was adopted in July 2006, and its policies were automatically saved for a period of three years, until July 2009. Malvern Hills District Council applied to the Government Office for the West Midlands to have most of the Local Plan policies saved beyond that date. On July 9^th 2009, the Government Office confirmed the list of saved policies and those that have not been saved.

The following Local Plan policies have NOT been saved:

DS2    Sustainable Development
DS6    Phasing of residential Allocations
DS16  Development and Flood Risk
EP3    Office development
EP4    Design Standards for Employment Sites
EP5    Home Based Businesses
EP11  Food and Drink Establishments
EP19  Land off Pickersleigh Road, Malvern
QL18  Protected Species
QL23  Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
QL24  Landscape Character
QL25  Protecting Water Supply
QL26  Pollution Control
QL27  Foul Drainage
QL28  Surface Water Drainage
QL29  Contaminated Land
QL30  Renewable Energy
ST2    Public Transport, Walking  and Cycling
ST3    Parking, Servicing and Commuted Parking Requirements
ST4    Minimising Travel Impacts
CN6    Efficient Use of Land for residential Development
CN11  Gypsy Sites

Where can I view the Plan?

The Plan can be viewed at any of our Customer Service Centres

Copies can also be viewed at all local libraries. Your Town Council or Parish Council has also been sent a copy of the Plan.

Copies can be purchased from the Customer Service Centre for £50 (+ £7 p&p) or on CD for £5 (+ £1 p&p). The written statement and individual inset map is available to local residents at a reduced price of £10.

Interactive Local Plan

Malvern Hills District Interactive Local Plan     Please note this shows ALL Local Plan Policies and as such includes policies that have not been saved.    Please refer to those policies listed above which have not been saved.

Local Plan - Written Statement

• 1. Introduction 
• 2. Development Strategy 
• 3. Economic Prosperity 
• 4. Quality of Life 
• 5.Providing Sustainable Transport 
• 6. Community Needs 
• Appendices Index 
• Glossary 

Other Useful Documents

• Local Plan - Sustainability Appraisal 
• Malvern Hills District Local Plan Summary Leaflet 

Adopted Local Plan - Localised maps

• Malvern Hills District Proposals Map
• Malvern
• Great Malvern Town Centre 
• Malvern Link District Centre 
• Barnards Green District Centre 
• Tenbury & Town Centre 
• Upton & Town Centre 
• Abberley Common 
• Alfrick 
• Broadwas 
• Bushley 
• Callow End 
• Clifton on Teme 
• Clows Top 
• Eardiston 
• Earl's Croome 
• Great Witley
• Grimley 
• Guarlford 
• Hallow 
• Hanley Castle
• Hanley Swan 
• Holt Heath 
• Kempsey
• Leigh Sinton 
• Little Witley 
• Longdon 
• Longley Green
• Lower Broadheath
• Martley
• Pendock
• Powick & Colletts Green 
• Rushwick 
• Ryall & Holly Green
• Severn Stoke  
• Shrawley 
• Sinton Green 
• Suckley 
• Welland 
• Legend for all Maps 

Key Stages in the Development of the Adopted Local Plan

The First Deposit Plan was placed on formal deposit for a period of six weeks between 16^th January 2004 and the 27^th February 2004.  The Plan was then placed on Second Deposit on 29^th October 2004 until 10^th December 2004. All Omission sites received during the deposit periods were also advertised and consulted on between 15^th April and 13^th May 2005.

A total of 2,683 representations were received on the Local Plan, 194 of these representations were subsequently withdrawn.   1,110 objections were pursued at a Public Local Inquiry (PLI) held between 24^th May and 6^th September 2006 or as written representations.  An Inspector from the Planning Inspectorate (Mr John MacBryde) was appointed by the Secretary of State to hold the PLI and his decisions are set out in his binding report published May 2006.

Full Council on 6^th June 2006 considered the Inspector’s binding Report and resolved to adopt the Local Plan.  A Notice of Intention to adopt was advertised in the London Gazette (9^th June 2006) and in the local press (8^th/9^th-15^th/16^th).

The Local Plan was adopted and became operative on 12^th July 2006.

The adopted Local Plan, the Worcestershire County Council Structure Plan (saved until 2007) and Minerals and Waste Plans (prepared by Worcestershire County Council) and Development Plan Documents (DPDs) as stated in the Local Development Scheme prepared by the District Council now constitute the Development Plan for the Malvern Hills District.  

The Adopted Local Plan forms part of the Local Development Framework.

What is the Local Plan Strategy for the District?

The following continue to be key elements of the Local Plan strategy for Malvern Hills.

• Establish Malvern as the main urban area and as the focus for strategic requirements for housing, employment and related development using brownfield sites first.
• Identifying key towns and villages across the district where local needs associated with the rural areas can be met.
• Provide a focus for rural renaissance through the Rural Regeneration Zone.
• Address opportunities associated with the A38 High Technology Corridor at Malvern.
• Protect the open countryside and the character, settings and identities of the district's settlements.
• Promote a hierarchy of shopping locations. Wider needs will be served in the recognised Town Centres of Great Malvern, Tenbury and Upton and local needs within district / local centres and sustainable rural settlements.
• Promote the role of Tenbury and Upton as the focus for shopping, commercial and service facilities to serve the rural areas.
• Have regard to the need to protect and enhance the special qualities of the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
• Acknowledge the role of Worcester as a strategic centre but prevent the spread of unsustainable development into the open countryside and coalescence with adjacent rural settlements.
• Identify, protect and enhance those areas and features, which contribute to the quality of life and high environmental character of the district.
• Locate development where there are opportunities to reduce the need to travel and maximise access to public transport.
• Avoid development within the flood plain and specifically along the strategic river corridors associated with the Teme and Severn Rivers.
• Promote Biodiversity within areas considered to be appropriate for enhancement at the regional level.

Implications for development

The Local Plan deals with all aspects of land use and development across the district from the allocation of land for housing to protection of wildlife corridors. Key features of the Plan include:-

• Meeting the district's housing and employment needs mainly within Malvern on brownfield sites without the need to allocate greenfields for development;
• Setting out requirements for affordable housing on new large housing developments;
• Protecting land at Seaford Court, Worcester Road in Malvern for the development of the proposed Community Hospital;
• Proposing the redevelopment of former Defence Estates' North Site off Leigh Sinton Road in Malvern for a mixed use development, dwellings, employment land, a primary school, local facilities and open space;
• Identifying key rural settlements and associated settlement boundaries;
• Raising the standards and aspirations for urban design and new development; and,
• Protecting locations for shopping in our Town and District Centres.

If you would like any further information or advice, contact Customer Services

You may also obtain advice on Planning matters from Planning Consultants and free advice may in some instances be provided by Planning Aid.