# Wychavon

52°06′50″N 2°04′52″W﻿ / ﻿52.114°N 2.081°W﻿ / 52.114; -2.081
Wychavon (/ˈwɪtʃ.eɪvən/) is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. The largest towns therein are Evesham and Droitwich Spa; the council is based in the town of Pershore. The district also includes numerous villages and surrounding rural areas, and includes part of the Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The district's name references the Saxon Kingdom of Hwicce and the River Avon. The population in 2022 was 134,536.
The neighbouring districts are Malvern Hills, Worcester, Wyre Forest, Bromsgrove, Redditch, Stratford-on-Avon, Cotswold, and Tewkesbury.

## History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
* Droitwich Municipal Borough
* Droitwich Rural District (except parish of Warndon, which went to Worcester)
* Evesham Municipal Borough
* Evesham Rural District
* Pershore Rural District (except parish of St Peter the Great County, which went to Worcester)
The name Wychavon was coined for the new district. "Wych" phonetically recalls the Saxon Kingdom of Hwicce, and "Avon" is for the River Avon.

## Governance

Wychavon District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Worcestershire County Council. The whole district is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.
Since 2014 the council has shared a chief executive and other staff with neighbouring Malvern Hills District Council.

### Political control

The council has been under Conservative majority control since 1999.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:
| Party in control | Years |
| Independent | 1974–1983 |
| No overall control | 1983–1987 |
| Conservative | 1987–1995 |
| No overall control | 1995–1999 |
| Conservative | 1999–present |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1999 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| John Grantham | Liberal Democrats | | 9 May 1999 |
| Malcolm Meikle | Conservative | May 1999 | May 2003 |
| Martin Jennings | Conservative | May 2003 | 6 May 2007 |
| Paul Middlebrough | Conservative | 22 May 2007 | 20 May 2015 |
| Linda Robinson | Conservative | 20 May 2015 | Oct 2018 |
| Bradley Thomas | Conservative | 7 Nov 2018 | 18 Oct 2023 |
| Christopher Day | Conservative | 18 Oct 2023 | |

### Composition

Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Conservative | 29 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 7 |
| | Green | 6 |
| | Labour | 1 |
| Total | Total | 43 |
The next election is due in 2027.

### Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 43 councillors representing 27 wards, each electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

### Premises

The council is based at Pershore Civic Centre on Queen Elizabeth Drive, which was purpose-built for the council in 1991. The council also maintains offices in Droitwich and Evesham.

## Civil parishes

The whole district is divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Pershore have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Broadway is a post town, but has not been declared a town by its parish council. The Wychavon district includes the following civil parishes:
* Abberton Parish Meeting
* Abbots Morton Parish Council
* Ashton under Hill Parish Council
* Badsey and Aldington Parish Council
* Beckford Parish Council
* Bickmarsh Parish Meeting
* Birlingham Parish Council
* Bishampton and Throckmorton Parish Council
* Bredicot Parish Meeting
* Bredon, Bredon's Norton and Westmancote Parish Council
* Bretforton Parish Council
* Broadway Parish Council
* Broughton Hackett Parish Meeting
* Charlton Parish Council
* Childswickham Parish Council
* Churchill Parish Meeting
* Cleeve Prior Parish Council
* Cookhill Parish Council
* Cropthorne Parish Council
* Crowle Parish Council
* Defford and Besford Parish Council
* Dodderhill Parish Council
* Drakes Broughton and Wadborough with Pirton Parish Council
* Droitwich Spa Town Council
* Eckington Parish Council
* Elmbridge Parish Council
* Elmley Castle, Bricklehampton and Netherton Parish Council
* Elmley Lovett Parish Council
* Evesham Town Council
* Fladbury Parish Council
* Flyford Flavell, Grafton Flyford and North Piddle Parish Council
* Great Comberton Parish Council
* Hadzor, Himbleton, Huddington and Oddingley (Saleway) Parish Council
* Hampton Lovett and Westwood Parish Council
* Hanbury Parish Council
* Hartlebury Parish Council
* Harvington Parish Council
* Hill and Moor Parish Council
* Hindlip, Martin Hussingtree and Salwarpe Parish Council
* Hinton-on-the-Green and Aston Somerville Parish Council
* Honeybourne Parish Council
* Inkberrow Parish Council
* Kemerton Parish Council
* Kington and Dormston Parish Council
* Little Comberton Parish Council
* Naunton Beauchamp Parish Council
* North and Middle Littleton Parish Council
* North Claines Parish Council
* Norton and Lenchwick Parish Council
* Norton juxta Kempsey Parish Council
* Offenham Parish Council
* Ombersley and Doverdale Parish Council
* Overbury and Conderton Parish Council
* Pebworth Parish Council
* Peopleton Parish Council
* Pershore Town Council
* Pinvin Parish Council
* Rous Lench Parish Council
* Sedgeberrow Parish Council
* South Littleton Parish Council
* Spetchley Parish Meeting
* South Lenches Parish Council
* Stock and Bradley Parish Council
* Stoulton Parish Council
* Strensham Parish Council
* Tibberton Parish Council
* Upton Snodsbury Parish Council
* Upton Warren Parish Council
* White Ladies Aston Parish Meeting
* Whittington Parish Council
* Wick Parish Council
* Wickhamford Parish Council
* Wyre Piddle Parish Council