52°20′06″N2°03′29″W / 52.335°N 2.058°W /52.335; -2.058
Bromsgrove District | |
|---|---|
 Bromsgrove, the largest settlement and administrative centre of the district. | |
 Bromsgrove shown within Worcestershire | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Non-metropolitan county | Worcestershire |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district |
| Admin HQ | Bromsgrove |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | Bromsgrove District Council |
| • Leadership | Leader & Cabinet (No overall control) |
| • MPs | Bradley Thomas[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 83.8 sq mi (217.0 km2) |
| • Rank | 139th(of 296) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 100,076 |
| • Rank | 245th(of 296) |
| • Density | 1,200/sq mi (460/km2) |
| Ethnicity(2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion(2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ONS code | 47UB (ONS) E07000234 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | SO9604870812 |
Bromsgrove is alocal government district in north-eastWorcestershire,England. It is named after its only town,Bromsgrove, where its council is based, but also includes several villages and surrounding rural areas. It borders the built-up area ofBirmingham to the north. Other places in the district includeAlvechurch,Aston Fields,Belbroughton,Catshill,Clent,Hagley,Rubery,Stoke Prior andWythall. The population at the 2021 census was 99,475.
The neighbouring districts areRedditch,Wychavon,Wyre Forest,South Staffordshire,Dudley,Birmingham,Solihull andStratford-on-Avon.
The town of Bromsgrove had been governed byimprovement commissioners from 1846,[3] who were replaced by an electedlocal board in 1859,[4] which in turn was converted into anurban district council in 1894.[5]
The modern district was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time:[6]
The new district was named Bromsgrove after its largest settlement.[7]
Bromsgrove District Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Chief Executive (interim) | Sue Hanley since 2023[11] |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 31 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Parkside, Market Street, Bromsgrove, B61 8DA | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Bromsgrove District Council providesdistrict-level services.County-level services are provided byWorcestershire County Council.[12] Much of the district is also covered bycivil parishes, which form a third tier of local government for their areas.[13]
Bromsgrove forms part of theGreater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. Since 2008 the council has developed shared working arrangements with neighbouringRedditch Borough Council, with the two organisations sharing a chief executive, management team and other staff.[14]
The council has been underno overall control since the2023 election, being run by an administration comprising theConservatives and most of theindependents, led by Conservative councillor Karen May.[15]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing councils before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows:[16][17]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1974–1995 | |
| Labour | 1995–1999 | |
| Conservative | 1999–2023 | |
| No overall control | 2023–present | |
Theleaders of the council since 1995 have been:[18]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Psirides | Conservative | May 1995 | ||
| Trevor Porter[19] | Labour | May 1995 | 9 May 1999 | |
| Nick Psirides[20] | Conservative | May 1999 | May 2002 | |
| Dennis Norton[21][22] | Conservative | May 2002 | 26 Sep 2005 | |
| Roger Hollingworth[23] | Conservative | 19 Oct 2005 | 14 May 2014 | |
| Margaret Sherrey[24] | Conservative | 14 May 2014 | 29 Jun 2016 | |
| Geoff Denaro | Conservative | 20 Jul 2016 | 22 May 2019 | |
| Karen May | Conservative | 22 May 2019 | ||
Following the2023 election and a subsequent change of allegiance in June 2024, the composition of the council was:[25]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 11 | |
| Independent | 8 | |
| Labour | 7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 | |
| Total | 31 | |
Seven of the independent councillors sit together as the "2023 Independents" group, which forms the council's administration with the Conservatives.[26] The next election is due in 2027.[27]
Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 31councillors representing 30wards, with each ward electing one councillor except Belbroughton and Romsley ward which elects two. Elections are held every four years.[28]
The council is based at Parkside, at the corner of Market Street and Stourbridge Road.[29] The building was formerly the Parkside School, built in 1912.[30] The school moved to a new building in 2008. The old building was subsequently converted and extended to become the council's headquarters, as well as an area office for Worcestershire County Council and new library for the town, opening in 2015.[31]
When first created in 1974 the council had inherited offices at St John's Court (then known as the Council House) from Bromsgrove Urban District Council and at 94 Birmingham Road from Bromsgrove Rural District Council.[32][33][34] The council subsequently moved to a modern office building on Burcot Lane, also called the Council House, which was formally opened in 1986.[35] It remained there until the move to Parkside in 2015. The Burcot Lane building has since been demolished.[36]
%2c_22_Kendal_End_Road%2c_Barnt_Green_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2792350.jpg)
Bromsgrove railway station is the local station for the district's centre, but there are several others within the district. Road travel, especially to Birmingham, is also important in the district.
Barnt Green railway station andAlvechurch railway station are on the line toRedditch.
Hagley railway station andWythall railway station are also on lines leading into Birmingham, which pass through the edges of the district.
Bromsgrove is situated onRoute 5 and 46 of theNational Cycle Network.[37] This gives cyclists easy access toDroitwich,Redditch,Birmingham and beyond.
Most of the district's area is covered by civil parishes, the exceptions being two separate parts of the pre-1974 Bromsgrove Urban District which have not since been added to parishes: one covering the main part of the Bromsgrove built-up area, and another aroundRubery on the northern edge of the district adjoining Birmingham.[13] At the 2021 census, nearly half the district's population lived in the unparished areas. The most populous parishes areWythall (which also contains the large village ofHollywood) andHagley.[38] Each parish has a parish council.[39]
The following table illustrates the change in the population of the area that makes up the modern district between 1801 and 2011.
| Year | Population[40] |
|---|---|
| 1801 | 14,486 |
| 1811 | 16,330 |
| 1821 | 18,312 |
| 1831 | 20,720 |
| 1841 | 21,124 |
| 1851 | 22,960 |
| 1861 | 27,321 |
| 1871 | 31,682 |
| 1881 | 36,043 |
| 1891 | 41,992 |
| 1901 | 44,224 |
| 1911 | 46,574 |
| 1921 | 44,176 |
| 1931 | 41,903 |
| 1941 | 50,338 |
| 1951 | 60,470 |
| 1961 | 68,919 |
| 1971 | 78,555 |
| 1981 | 86,982 |
| 1991 | 92,251 |
| 2001 | 87,486 |
| 2011 | 93,600[41] |
