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Stoulton Conservation Area changes consultation

In this section

We are consulting on proposed changes to Stoulton Conservation Area and a new conservation area appraisal and management plan.

We want to hear the views of residents, community groups, businesses, and others with an interest in the area.

What is a Conservation Area?

Conservation Areas are designated by the local planning authority due to their special historic and architectural interest. In these areas, the preservation and enhancement of the existing townscape, alongside individual buildings, is of particular importance.

A new Character Appraisal of Stoulton Conservation Area was undertaken by us. This highlighted the area’s historic, architectural, archaeological and townscape interest, which was considered sufficient to merit its protection.

A draft Management Plan has also been produced for the Conservation Area, which is located within the administrative area of Wychavon District Council. The draft Management Plan sets out proposals and actions to preserve and enhance its special character.

Changing of the boundaries would impose additional controls on ‘Permitted Development’ rights (rights that allow certain works to be carried out without a planning application) within the areas where the boundary is extended. These controls are set by national legislation. They would not prevent development from taking place but would help ensure it maintains and enhances the area’s special qualities.

Proposed changes to Stoulton Conservation Area

You can read the pdf draft Stoulton Conservation Area Appraisal (14.88 MB) document in full.

A summary of the main changes are also set out below.

Summary of main changes

It has been proposed to change the existing conservation area boundary and to extend it to include areas of the village considered to have special architectural or historic interest that were excluded from the original conservation area.

The proposed boundary will include the rest of the historic settlement situated on the opposite side of the main Worcester to Pershore road from the current conservation area. This area should be included as it is also part of the historic settlement; Stoulton is more than the village around the church, the historic environment, amenity, and administrative areas, as well as the natural environment, extend into this part of the village.

Further inclusion are the pasture fields to the west and north-east of the historic core. These fields are important elements of the economic and overall history of Stoulton and played a significant contribution in its development and financial growth. The fields to the west are historic orchards, with only a handful of trees remaining, and managed pasture likely related to smallholdings; the natural boundary formed by the stream defines this pasture. The fields to the north-east were and are pasture that has remained unaffected despite development throughout the rest of the village, suggesting some important to the economy of Stoulton. Both have special historic interest to the conservation area.

Finally, it is proposed to include the 19th century extension to the very north of the settlement demonstrating the extension of the settlement to provide farmworkers cottages. These cottages are evidence of a prosperous rural village, which required the addition of further housing to support the growing industry. They have been proposed for inclusion in recognition of the historic interest of the growth and prosperity of the rural economy, and the impact it had upon Stoulton.

The affected properties are listed below:

  • Senner Cottage
  • The Swallows
  • Oak Cottage
  • Bears Cottage
  • Holly Cottage
  • Windsor Cottage
  • 1 and 2 Malvern View
  • The Grange
  • Manton Barn
  • Pear Tree Barn
  • Empingham Barn
  • The Hambleton
  • Barrowden
  • The Lyddington Barn
  • The Old Forge
  • Homefield
  • Boxbush House
  • 1-3 Boxbush Cottages
  • The Motor House
  • Forget Me Not Cottage
  • Birch Tree Cottage
  • Merrimans Cottage
  • 2 Council House
  • Froggery House
  • The Meadows
  • Saddlestones
  • Downalong
  • Eden House
  • High Trees
  • Fairview
  • Hillberry
  • The Courthouse
  • Manor Cottage
  • Manor Lodge
  • Kirkfield
  • Manor Bank

Further adjustments have been suggested to allow the boundary to follow recognisable physical boundary features and following property boundaries where it currently takes an arbitrary line through the landscape or properties from its associated land, as at:

  • Village Hall
  • Granary Cottage
  • Manor Farmhouse
  • Briar House
  • Manor Bank

The suggested boundary changes are shown in the plan. They have been the subject of initial informal consultation with Stoulton Parish Council and local district councillors Cllr Rob Adams and Cllr Liz Turier.

Consultation

A formal consultation on the proposed changes and the new character document and management plan will take place between 11 October 2024 and 22 November 2024.

The consultation documents are available to view below:

A reference copy of the consultation document is available to view during opening hours at Pershore Library, and our offices at the Civic Centre in Pershore.

Find out more

A drop-in information session will be held at Stoulton Village Hall Church Lane, Stoulton, Worcestershire, WR7 4RE on 16 October 2024 between 4.30pm and 8.30pm. 

This is an opportunity for you to speak to officers and find out more about the conservation area and the changes.

Have your say

If you would like to make comments on the proposed changes then they must be done in writing. 

This can be done by filling in the Stoulton Conservation Area Changes Consultation Feedback Form. 

You can also email comments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to Stoulton Conservation Changes Consultation, Wychavon District Counci, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, WR10 1PT.

Responses must be received no later than 5pm on 22 November 2024.

For more information about how we will use personal information you provide as part of your consultation response please read our Planning Policy Privacy Notice.

Contact us

If you have any questions regarding the consultation, please get in touch by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Read more …Stoulton Conservation Area changes consultation

Corporate Peer Challenge

In October 2024, we participated in a Corporate Peer Challenge run by the Local Government Association.

Corporate Peer Challenge is a tried and trusted tool for improvement offered to councils. It involves a team of senior local government officers and councillors spending time at a council to provide challenge, offer feedback and share learning. 

All Corporate Peer Challenges focus on the five core components listed below:

  • local priorities and outcomes
  • organisational and place leadership
  • governance and culture
  • financial planning and management
  • capacity for improvement

In addition, we asked our peer team for some feedback about our approach to customer services and overall customer experience.

During their three-day visit to Wychavon, the team gathered information and views from around 45 meetings, went on two mini-tours of parts of the district and carried out further research and reading. They spoke to more than 120 people, including employees, councillors and a range of our partners, external organisations and residents.

The peer team’s report provides a summary of the team’s findings and sets out some recommendations to help us progress from ‘good to great’. We welcome the positive feedback and the useful areas for improvement and recommendations.

Our action plan in response to the peer team’s feedback and recommendations contains a mix of quick wins to be delivered within 12 months and longer-term actions to be delivered by the end of 2027.

Four members of the peer team revisited us on 25 October 2025 to undertake a progress review. This focussed on the eight recommendations from our Corporate Peer Challenge and our progress in implementing them. You can read the feedback from our progress review below.

You can read the position statement we shared with the team before their visit to Wychavon:  pdf Corporate Peer Challenge position statement (5.99 MB)

You can read the peer team’s feedback report: pdf Wychavon CPC Report (716 KB)

Read our pdf Peer Challenge action plan (1.61 MB) .

Read the feedback from our progress review and add the attached document.

pdf CPC Progress Review Report (403 KB)

For more information contact

Cherrie Mansfield
Head of Strategy and Engagement
01386 565508
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We Are Wychavon Plan

In this section

The We Are Wychavon Plan is our commitment to you about how we will improve the district over the next four years to make it an even better place to live work and visit. 

The plan has been put together based on feedback from our residents' survey, young person's survey, Local Democracy Day event, input from staff and councillors and information about the local needs of the district.

There are 27 promises in the plan based on our three priorities of People, Place and Environment. 

We will review the plan every 12 months and remove completed promises and add in new ones. We will also publish updates on this page about the progress we are making towards achieving our promises.

People

A woman on the phone

Vision: Providing opportunities for everyone, raising young people’s aspirations and helping people to live healthier lives.

Our People promises are:

  • Support the development of the existing health and wellbeing hubs and introduce tailored health and wellbeing support in at least ten villages by 31 March 2028.
  • Train people in communities and workplaces to champion health and wellbeing and signpost to appropriate support by 31 March 2026.
  • Deliver support, information and advice for families to give children the best start in life and education by 31 March 2026.
  • Work with schools and early years providers to deliver programmes so more free school meal eligible children reach a good level of development by 31 March 2028.
  • Identify households at risk of hardship and provide preventative advice and support by 31 March 2028.
  • Identify the need for community-led rural transport projects and use this to target our Ticket to Ride fund by 31 March 2028.
  • Develop five new community youth projects in rural areas by 31 March 2028.
  • Extend our social mobility small grants scheme to increase activities and opportunities for more young people by 31 March 2027.

Place

A woman hugging a tree.

Vision: Helping everyone to access a good place to live, supporting businesses to thrive and creating vibrant and accessible places.

Our Place promises are:

  • Promote the benefits of and provide support to significantly increase the coverage of neighbourhood plans to help shape the future development of local communities by 31 March 2028.
  • Use neighbourhood plans and the South Worcestershire Development Plan to increase the amount and quality of affordable housing to meet local needs and build 12 new homes for rent by 31 March 2028.
  • Bring at least 30 long-term empty properties back into use by 31 March 2028
  • Create at least 15 temporary housing places to reduce the number of homeless people in B&Bs by 31 March 2028.
  • Create a new housing facility in the north of the district to provide support to homeless young people so they can move on to independent homes by 31 March 2028.
  • Invest in the development of small business units in at least two locations across the district by 31 March 2028.
  • Raise career aspirations for adults and young people including creating school-business partnerships to connect people with local employers and training opportunities by 31 March 2028.
  • Drive investment in the key sites identified in the town centre prospectuses including the Riverside Centre in Evesham, Droitwich Spa lido and reconnecting Pershore with the riverside by 31 March 2028.
  • Work with our Place Boards to help our town centres reach their potential as accessible destinations offering essential services, diverse shops and vibrant leisure experiences by 31 March 2028.

Environment

A man holding a clipboard

Vision: Boosting our natural environment, cutting carbon emissions and building resilience to climate change.

Our Environment promises are:

  • Run a four-year engagement and information campaign to support residents to enhance biodiversity, respond to climate change and minimise waste by 31 March 2028.
  • Restore and improve 28 hectares of priority habitats at Fish Hill, Broadway including semi-natural woodland and culturally significant landscapes by 31 March 2028.
  • Increase biodiversity and natural assets in our parks and green spaces and increase their resilience to climate change while retaining their value for users by 31 March 2028.
  • Continue to deliver actions in our Intelligently Green Plan to reduce our carbon footprint including significantly cutting emissions from our leisure centres by 31 March 2028.
  • Develop and start to deliver an adaptation plan to make our services more resilient to the impacts of climate change by 31 March 2028.
  • Support small businesses to access training, receive specialist support or grant funding to respond to climate change by 31 March 2028.
  • Support communities to develop local plans to increase resilience to the impacts of climate change and prepare for emergencies by 31 March 2028.
  • Pilot new bike hire schemes at Droitwich, Evesham and Pershore railway stations by 31 March 2026.
  • Lead the creation of a health corridor for cycling, walking and wildlife following the route of the canal and river from Droitwich to Churchfields by 31 March 2028.
  • Work with partners to develop a plan for reducing traffic congestion in Evesham and deliver a new cycling and walking route between the town centre and the surrounding areas by 31 March 2028. 

Read more …We Are Wychavon Plan

Design code consultation

In this section

We want to become a leading council for rural and urban design. We want to see high quality, beautiful development in our district that protects, enhances and complements Wychavon’s heritage, natural open spaces and distinctive character.

That is why we have worked with design consultancy, Create Streets to produce a series of design codes which will play a critical role in ensuring beautiful new homes and places are created in our district to support the economic success of Wychavon and sustainable and neighbourly living.

The consultation ended on 5 February 2024.

We're currently revising the design code based on feedback from your and our partner organisations.

A final draft is expected to be presented to councillors to approve in early 2025.

  • A row of houses

    What is a design code

    The design codes are like recipes for a place. They set out a series of requirements for new developments, streets, buildings and the natural environment, which direct not only how they will look and feel, but how they interact with existing places.

    Because each part of our district has its own set of distinct requirements, we have divided Wychavon into four parts and produced a separate design code for each one.

    The codes cover Pershore and the surrounding area, Evesham and the Vale of Evesham, Droitwich Spa and the surrounding area and the Cotswolds Edge, which covers places including Broadway.

  • A Tudor style cottage

    Purpose of design codes

    The design code sets out to developers, housebuilders and architects what is required, in detail, from their proposed plans before they are even submitted, guaranteeing standards are upheld and removing the uncertainty which can lead to delays in the planning process.

    The codes build upon the South Worcestershire Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document and take into account changes made to the National Planning Policy Framework in 2021 which strengthened the importance of design codes in the planning process.

    Once adopted, the codes will become an important part of the evidence used to assess and decide on planning applications.

  • People walking along Bridge Street, Evesham

    How the design code will be used

    There are three levels of guidance within the code. These levels are explained below:

    MUST

    Parts of the code marked MUST, have to be followed by developers and are non-negotiable. Development that does not follow them will not be allowed.

    SHOULD

    These are design features which developers are strongly encouraged to include. Where they cannot, they will have to justify and evidence why they haven’t been able to follow a certain requirement. Exceptions will be approved on a case by case basis.

    CAN

    These are design features which are recommended but if not followed they will not drastically alter the overall quality of development.

  • A street scene

    Read our draft design codes

    The design codes have been produced following feedback from previous consultations with residents.

    They aim to respond to the hopes and concerns of residents about development and reflect what you want to see more of as the place where you live grows and changes over time.

    You can download and reach each of the design codes by using the links below:

Read more …Design code consultation

Wychavon's 50th anniversary

History of Wychavon

Wychavon was formed out of the Local Government Act 1972. 

The council, and the district, was created out of five existing councils:

  • Evesham Borough Council
  • Evesham Rural District Council
  • Droitwich Borough Council
  • Droitwich Rural District Council
  • Pershore Rural District Council

Originally called District No.9, the name Wychavon was chosen to reflect all parts of the district with Wych being the Anglo-Saxon name for Droitwich Spa and the Avon being the main river that runs through the district.

A shadow council was elected and met in Pershore for the first time in summer 1973, with Wychavon's first constitution being approved at The Raven Hotel in Droitwich Spa.

On 31 March 1974, Wychavon's founding councillors and officers visited Pershore Abbey where they pledged themselves to service. At midnight on 1 April, 1974 Wychavon - both the council and the place - came into being.

Download the pdf Wychavon 50 years of making a difference booklet  (5.36 MB) to learn more about our story.

Chairman's Civic Service - celebrating 50 years of making a difference

On Sunday 21 April, 2024 dignatries, including the Lord Lieutentant of Worcestershire, joined current and former councillors and staff to celebrate Wychavon's 50th anniversary.

Read more about the Chairman's Civic Service celebrating 50 years of Wychavon.

  • A woman shaking hands with a man

    Meeting the Lord Lieutenant

    Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, Beatrice Grant, meets Cllr Robert Raphael

  • Man stood at a lectern in a church speaking

    Giving thanks

    Cllr Raphael gives his address to those gathered in Pershore Abbey.

  • A group of people stood in a V shape in front of Pershore Abbey

    Happy birthday

    Those present who gathered to celebrate 50 years of Wychavon.

Chairman's 50th Anniversary Tour

Our Chairman for 2023/24 Cllr Robert Raphael spent ten months completing an ambitious challenge to visit every part of the district to mark Wychavon's 50th anniversary.

The tour began in July 2023 at Wick Care Farm with the final visit taking place at Millennium Wood in Stoulton in April 2024.

During the Chairman’s 50th Anniversary Tour, Cllr Raphael visited 77 parishes, highlighting the work of local organisations, meeting with volunteers, catching up on projects Wychavon has funded over the years and checking out some of the district’s natural and historic sites. 

Below is a selection of the visits Cllr Raphael has completed. You can hover over the picture for more information and on some articles click to read more about the visit and see more pictures.

  • Cllr Raphael and Isobel Meikle from Wick Care Farm holding a sheet between them

    Wick Care Farm

    Read more

  • A group of people standing in front of a park around a zip wire

    Pebworth Play Area

    Read more

  • Lisa Broomhead and Cllr Robert Raphael standing behind a counter of chocolate

    Jinney Ring Craft Centre

    Read more

  • Cllr Robert Raphael turning a switch on a transmitter with Nathan McComish standing behind him.

    Droitwich Transmitter Station

    Read more

  • Cllr Raphael wearing a flat cap hat writing on a chalk slate board behind and old school desk.

    Hartlebury Castle and Museum

    Following a £5 million revamp, this is now one of the district's most fascinating visitor attractions.

  • Cllr Rick Deller and Cllr Robert Raphael in a canoe

    Aztec Adventure Upton Warren

    The Chairman tested out his head for heights and water skills at this amazing visitor destination.

  • Three men stood in front of a testing machine.

    ZwickRoell

    How much pressure does it take to remove a yoghurt lid? Well the staff at this Worcester 6 based company can help you find the answer.

  • A man holding a dog with a woman standing next to him.

    Evesham Dogs Trust

    This Wickhamford based charity has already rehomed more than 470 dogs this year but more help is needed.

  • Cllr Thomas and Cllr Raphael sat in a glider

    Bidford Gliding Club

    A visit to the parish of Bickmarsh saw the Chairman take to the skies.

    Watch video

  • Cllr Raphael stood behind a bar holding a pint with another man next to him

    The Queen Elizabeth Inn

    This venue in Elmley Castle is run by volunteers from the community. It's a pub, tea room, restaurant and village shop.

  • A police officer and Cllr Raphael stood in front of a police car

    West Mercia Police HQ

    A visit to the home of West Mercia Police at Hindlip Hall saw the Chairman 'arrested'. 

  • Two men stood in front of a wall

    Strensham Services (Southbound)

    We have all used them but what goes in to running a busy motorway service station? The Chairman visited Strensham to find out.

  • A woman stands in front of the hatch while Cllr Raphael and another man serve tea and cake

    St John the Baptist, Stock and Bradley

    The Chairman visited Stock and Bradley to find out how a £15,000 grant from us had helped transform a community meeting space.

  • Cllr Robert Raphael leans on a gate with a house in the background where a man can be seen sticking his head out, while water pools around the house.

    M3 Floodtec Hampton Lovett

    Read more

  • Two people stood in front of a young tree with a spade.

    Naunton Beauchamp Orchard

    We planted a special tree to mark our 50th anniversary in an amazing orchard being restored by The Vale Lanscape Trust.

  • A woman stood in front of a van with a man leaning out of the window

    Vale Wildlife Trust, Beckford

    An amazing charity helping care for injured wild animals.

  • A group of people sat around a tree

    Platinum Meadows, Cookhill

    An amazing project run by the parish council to protect and enhance a local green space, created in honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

  • A group of people holding tennis rackets in front of a tennis net.

    Walking Tennis, Cutnall Green

    The Chairman discovered a new way to get into Tennis - Walking Tennis - thanks to Cutnall Green Tennis Club.

  • Two people holding disc golf frisbees

    Disc golf, Hadzor

    Gaudet Luce Golf Club was the venue for a head-to-head on the disc golf course between Cllrs Rowley and Raphael.

  • A group of people sat on a bench

    Pear Tree Fields, Badsey

    We returned to this fantastic community orchard, allotment and burial ground project Wychavon helped fund, to find out how it was getting on and plans for the future.

  • Cllr Robert Raphael stood in front of a church.

    St Michael's Church, Elmley Lovett

    This beautiful church is Grade II listed and steeped in history, including being surrounded by the site of a medieval settlement dating back to the 9th century.

  • Three people sat on a rope swing in a park.

    Play area, Norton and Lenchwick

    Wychavon helped fund this amazing play area in Norton and Lenchwick, so we went along to try it out.

  • Ombersley Memorial Hall, Ombsersley

    We joined the community to share a special afternoon tea to celebrate 100 years of Ombersley Memorial Hall.

  • Two men stood in a field holding a plant.

    Overbury Estate, Overbury

    The Chairman got a fascinating insight into how farming can help fight climate change and came face-to-face with a former winner of the Epsom Derby.

  • A group of people stood in front of a lake

    Hill and Moor HRC, Hill and Moor

    A visit to the Household Recycling Centre revealed exactly how much goes in to disposing of our waste and recycling.

  • Four people stood on an iron lattice bridge with trees in the background.

    Spetchley Park Gardens, Spetchley

    The Chairman was given a special tour of this popular visitor destination and an insight into their plans for the future.

  • A woman and a man standing side by side holding air pistols pointing at the camera.

    Pistol shooting, Broughton Hackett

    The Chairman and Cllr Linda Robinson tried out pistol and rifle shooting at March Hare Leisure.

    Find out more

  • Three men stood on a path in front of a field

    Eckington Community Fields, Eckington

    An amazing community project created from the village Neighbourhood Plan.

  • A man and woman stood either side of a scarecrow.

    Scarecrow Trail, Fernhill Heath

    We got to judge this year's entries and meet Cllr Chaircrow.

    Read more

  • Two man holding either side of a newspaper.

    The Old Bull, Inkberrow

    Celebrating our link to the BBC's The Archers with Eddie Grundy (Trevor Harrison).

  • A man stood in front of a lake and some grass fields.

    Kemerton Lake Nature Reserve, Kemerton

    A beautiful part of the district that is supporting Wychavon's biodiversity.

    Find out more

  • The Lenches Amphitheatre

    Our Community Legacy Grant helped fund this amazing venue.

    Find out more

  • Four men stood either side of a pink van with a man inside leaning out the window.

    Morris Commercial, Hinton-on-the-Green

    We found out about plans to create an electric version of a classic British vehicle.

    Read more

  • A group of people stood around an outdoor exercise bike.

    Outdoor gym, North and Middle Littleton

    We helped fund outdoor exercise equipment so the local parish council could support their residents to be active.

  • A group of people in front of a SmartWater sign.

    SmartWater launch, Peopleton

    We helped launch Peopleton's SmartWater scheme.

    Read more

  • Three people holding asparagus

    Revills Farm Shop, Defford

    Our Chairman helped cut some great British asparagus from a local field, while his consort Diana demonstrated the traditional method of asparagus tying.

  • A group of young people planting new trees.

    Tree planting, Upton Snodsbury

    We joined children from Upton Snodsbury First School to help plant trees in a local field as part of a Worcestershire County Council scheme.

  • A group of people stood in front of a wood

    Millennium Wood, Stoulton

    We visited the wood we planted in 2001 to mark the millennium. 

  • Five people stood against a wall doing a dance pose.

    Dance class, Drakes Broughton

    The Chairman got down to the Latin beat after joining Wychavon Dance for the morning at Drakes Broughton Village Hall.

  • Group of people stood in front of some theatre chairs.

    Number 8, Pershore

    We went behind the scenes at Number 8 which we supported the creation of and celebrates its own 20th anniversary later this year.

  • Two men stood in front of a sign.

    Churchfields, Salwarpe

    Catching up with the amazing Churchfields - sellers of Droitwich Salt - and their plans for the future.

    Learn more

  • A man feeding an alpaca

    Simply Alpaca, Dormston

    Getting up close and personal with an alpaca at Simply Alpaca.

    Learn more

  • A group of people stood in front of a red ribbon ready to cut it

    You Turn, Evesham

    We helped open the new home of You Turn, Evesham which we transformed from a derelict building.

  • A group of people stood in a line.

    Avon Navigation Trust, Wyre Piddle

    We caught up with the Avon Navigation Trust to find out about their current challenges and opportunities.

    Learn more

  • Two men holding bowls balls.

    Jack Pullin, Bredon

    The Chairman took on England international and bowls star Jack Pullin (he lost!).

Read more …Wychavon's 50th anniversary