The Malvern Hills Trust protects and manages the iconic Malvern Hills and Commons on behalf of the nation. Our work keeps this diverse landscape open to all and conserves its rich cultural and natural heritage.
Since our eight-week public consultation about our proposed Parliamentary Bill closed in July, the trustees and staff have been carefully working through nearly 500 items of feedback. We have also been meeting with organisations which took part in the consultation and others who expressed particular concerns.
We are pleased that the number of responses exceeded those to the 2019 consultation. There are mixed views about some of our proposals but we now have a good picture of where concerns lie, and where we need to explain our intentions better. We are keen to address as many concerns as possible in advance of the start of the parliamentary process.
Chair John Michael said:
‘I wish to thank all those members of the public and organisations who took the time to engage in the consultation process. This is all about modernising the Trust’s governance so it can operate more effectively:
- we want our charitable objects to make clear we exist to manage the Malvern Hills and Commons both for the enjoyment of people and to conserve the landscape and wildlife;
- we want to stop spending time and money examining our current Acts to obtain answers to routine questions about what we are allowed to do;
- we want to be able to access the range of funding options available to most other charities;
- we want to be able to implement modern ways of working, e.g. conduct Board meetings online or in hybrid form; and
- we want a smaller but more diverse Board with the right range of skills, in which every trustee is there primarily to further the purposes of the Trust as a whole.
Since 1884 there have been five Acts of Parliament, and in addition some of the Trust’s administrative arrangements are set out in other legislation in part dating back to 1847. The world has changed dramatically since the organisation was established and now its ability to conserve this landscape effectively is being stifled by outdated governance arrangements that are no longer fit for purpose.
The consultation response data will be published on our website in late September and the Board of Trustees will be meeting over the course of the next few weeks to decide the next steps with the Bill.’
