New parish councils to be established
News release issued:
New parish councils for Cookley, Wolverley, and Lea Castle could be established next year. Wyre Forest District Council is set to consider the recommendation at its meeting on Wednesday, 16 July.
A community governance review was carried out in Wolverley and Cookley following a request by the Parish Council, prompted by housing growth at Lea Castle. From August to November 2024, a public consultation was held, followed by a local poll for electors in the parish in May 2025. The poll showed clear support for establishing separate parish councils in each of the three polling districts.
Councillor Marcus Hart, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council, said:
“Thank you to everyone who took part in the consultation or gave their view in the local poll. There was strong support in all areas for the establishment of three parish councils. Parish councils are the first level of local government and give communities a democratic voice and structure for taking community action. As the reorganisation of local government takes place in the county, they are likely to have an even bigger role to play.”
If approved, the new parish councils would be created with effect from September 2026. The Full Council is also considering recommendations on several proposed minor boundary changes which were also subjects of community governance reviews. If the recommendations are approved, a consultation will take place on the draft reorganisation orders.
Details of all the recommendations and consultation results can be found in the council report.
The Full Council meeting can be watched live on Wednesday, 16 July from 6pm by visiting the Council's streaming webpage. A recording of the meeting will also be available on the archived meetings webpage.