Protect Our Representation: The Malvern Hills Bill
We are a community group dedicated to discussing the issues affecting the Malvern Hills and ensuring absolute accountability for those spending taxpayers' money.
Originally founded as an online protest, our mission is to highlight critical amendments to the proposed Malvern Hills Bill. As it stands, this Bill introduces radical changes to governance that will have lasting consequences for Malvern residents, their council tax burdens, and their right to democratic representation.
The Threat to Your Vote
The current system of all but one of the 29 trustees being either directly elected by you or nominated by your elected council is at risk. The Bill proposes scrapping this in favour of just 12 seats, half of whom would be appointed by the board itself rather than the public.
Loss of Local Voice: Your right to vote for a specific trustee representing your immediate area (currently 11 seats) will be abolished.
Reduced Accountability: Trustees appointed by your elected local councils (currently 17 seats) will be removed.
Concentrated Power: A tiny group of 6 "at-large" representatives and 6 self-appointed trustees will hold the power, stripping away the direct link between you and the Hills’ management.
This proposal slashes your elected representation by half. Furthermore, requiring candidates to campaign across the entire region makes it nearly impossible for independent local voices to compete against those with political party machines or deep financial backing.
Why This Matters
Vulnerability to Special Interests: A smaller, less accountable board is more susceptible to influence from developers or those seeking financial gain through access to Trust land.
Political Overreach: It paves the way for a controlling faction to push through projects that lack broad public support.
Silencing Local Opposition: Without area-specific trustees, local concerns can be easily ignored by a centralized board.
Key Concerns
Unfair Funding: There are no plans to expand the levy-paying area, leaving the financial burden on the same group of residents.
Checked Powers: The Bill grants a "general power" that significantly expands what the Trust can do without specific oversight.
Environmental Risk and Reduced Protection: The Bill fails to explicitly mandate the preservation of the "natural aspect" of the Hills.
Charity vs. Public Interest: By shifting power from the "Conservators" to the "Trust," the legal priority shifts to the interests of the charity itself — not necessarily the conservation of the hills and their enjoyment by the public.
Unregulated Penalties: The Trust would gain the power to issue Fixed Penalty Notices (fines) without the accountability of a standard public body or Council.