Author: FVCA

Have your say on the future of local governance in Bromsgrove District

Residents, businesses, and community organisations are being invited to share their views on how their communities should be represented in the future.

Bromsgrove District Council has launched an early engagement exercise to gather views on local governance, particularly in areas that do not currently have a parish or town council.

With Local Government Reorganisation expected to change how local government operates, the council is seeking feedback on how decisions affecting local areas should be made in future, and whether further work – including a formal Community Governance Review (CGR) – should be considered.

This engagement is about gathering views only. No decisions have been made.

The survey asks for views on:

· How people currently feel represented locally

· How important local or neighbourhood-level decision making is

· Possible future approaches to local governance

· Whether a formal review of governance arrangements should be explored

Darren Whitney, Electoral Services Manager, said:“Local government is expected to change soon, so this is an important time to understand what communities want in the future.

“That’s why we are asking residents, businesses and organisations to share their views now so we can understand whether there is appetite to explore different ways of representing local communities.”

The survey is open until 23:59 on 9 August 2026 and is available together with more information at www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/local-futures. For further support please contact the council’s Electoral Services team on 01527 881421.

Celebrating 100 Years of Fairfield Church Hall

Even though many of you will know the building that is currently standing as Fairfield Village Hall, its official name is Fairfield Church Hall.

In 1979 the old wooden Church Hall was knocked down and replaced by the Village Hall that stands today. The management of the hall was moved from St. Mark’s to a Committee of Management, elected residents from the community and designated service users.

Back in August/September 1926 there was no Church Hall, with Village activities taking place at Fairfield School. A Church Hall “Building” committee, consisting of Trustees and residents had been formed, and they held their meetings at the school, coordinating fund raising activities, studying building plans & commissioning a contractor to erect the building. By the end of 1926 the Church Hall had been built and formally opened.

Opening Ceremony of St. Mark’s Church Hall

The hall was formally opened on Saturday December 11th 1926 by Lady Georgina Vernon, who was supported on the platform by the Rector (the Rev. Douglas Alner Townsend), Mrs. Townsend, Messrs. W. H. Matty (Hon. Treasurer and Trustee), J. T. G. Davis (Trustee), H. S. Stevens & F. Handley (Churchwardens), J. B. Nickols (Hon. Secretary), W. S. Webb, Mrs. W. Shakespeare Webb & Mrs. W. H. Matty.

Having briefly introducing Lady Georgina Vernon, the Rector asked her to formally Open the Hall, and she proceeded to the door on the west side (veranda door), and with a silver key presented to her by the Contractor (Mr. Grosvenor Workman of Birmingham) unlocked the door and declared the Hall open.

Speeches from the Rector and several other persons followed, and a full report of the opening ceremony appeared the “County Express” & “Bromsgrove Messenger”.

Upwards of 300 people were present for the opening ceremony, the hall was filled to the utmost capacity. Many people had to stand as there was insufficient seating.

By hospitality of Mr. Matty everyone was served with tea, and a collection was taken for the Hall funds, which amounted to £10 10s 6d.

A concert followed the opening ceremony at 7pm, when the hall was again filled to capacity. Dancing was kept up until 11pm, and the day’s proceedings then ended. Everyone being pleased with their achievements and confident of the Hall’s future success.

Celebrating 100 Years

As there is a lot going on in December, with our and other Christmas events, we will mark the centenary of Fairfield Church Hall on Friday 30 October with an afternoon tea, starting at 2.00pm, with a selection of sandwiches, cakes and lashing of tea. During the afternoon, there will be demonstrations from some of our current hall users, dancing & taekwondo. There will also be a display of photos and memories in the Hall foyer, including videos of past pantomimes. Tickets are £8.00 each and can be purchased via our BARTS website (www.bromsgrovearts.org.uk) or from the Community Shop (open during Foodie Fairfield and The Wednesday Social. The Village Hall bar will be open for people wanting something stronger than tea & coffee.

For people unable to attend the Afternoon Tea, the display can be viewed on Saturday 31October, times will be posted on our social media sites and in the eNewsletter.

Do you have any photos or memories that you can share?

Pop them down to the Hall during the morning of Friday 30 October, collect on Saturday evening, during the Halloween Family Event. We’d like to scan your photos and memories, so that they can be kept for years to come.

For catering purposes, deadline for buying tickets is Friday 23rd October.

Planning Application – Land At Yew Tree Lane

The following planning application is available to view and comment on. Please use this
link to take you to the home page of Public Access
https://publicaccess.bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk/online-applications/ which is the tool for
viewing applications and making comment electronically.

Click on the link above
Type in the application number and click, this will take you to the summary page of Public
Access.
When at the summary page
To view the documents you will need to click on the tab, then
the .
To make a comment click on the tab,
Fill out your details and make your comment and press submit, this will go straight to the
relevant planning officer and be immediately viewable in the comments tab.
If you have provided an email you can request a confirmation email.

APPLICATION REFERENCE :	26/00744/FUL
APPLICATION TYPE:	Full Application
DATE ACCEPTED:	22.06.2026
LOCATION:	Land At, Yew Tree Lane Fairfield Worcestershire
PROPOSAL:	Construction of two detached four bedroom dwellings with associated access and landscaping
APPLICANTS NAME:
PARISH COUNCIL:	Belbroughton Parish
WARD:	Belbroughton And Romsley Ward
CASE OFFICER:	Emily Cox
TELEPHONE:	01527 881699 EXT 1699
EMAIL	emily.cox@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

Planning Application – Home Farm, Mill Lane

Click on the link above
Type in the application number and click, this will take you to the summary page of Public
Access.
When at the summary page
To view the documents you will need to click on the tab, then
the .
To make a comment click on the tab,
Fill out your details and make your comment and press submit, this will go straight to the
relevant planning officer and be immediately viewable in the comments tab.
If you have provided an email you can request a confirmation email.

APPLICATION REFERENCE :	26/00654/FUL
APPLICATION TYPE:	Full Application
DATE ACCEPTED:	23.06.2026
LOCATION:	Home Farm , Mill Lane Wildmoor Worcestershire B61 0BX
PROPOSAL:	Demolition and replacement of existing dwellinghouse
APPLICANTS NAME:
PARISH COUNCIL:	Bournheath Parish
WARD:	Belbroughton And Romsley Ward
CASE OFFICER:	Emily Cox
TELEPHONE:	01527 881699 EXT 1699
EMAIL	emily.cox@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

Planning Application – Field House, Mill Lane

Click on the link above
Type in the application number and click, this will take you to the summary page of Public
Access.
When at the summary page
To view the documents you will need to click on the tab, then
the .
To make a comment click on the tab,
Fill out your details and make your comment and press submit, this will go straight to the
relevant planning officer and be immediately viewable in the comments tab.
If you have provided an email you can request a confirmation email.

APPLICATION REFERENCE :	26/00623/FUL
APPLICATION TYPE:	Full Application
DATE ACCEPTED:	26.05.2026
LOCATION:	Field House , Mill Lane Wildmoor Worcestershire B61 0BX
PROPOSAL:	Single storey rear extension to form a larger kitchen/dining area
APPLICANTS NAME:
PARISH COUNCIL:	Belbroughton Parish
WARD:	Belbroughton And Romsley Ward
CASE OFFICER:	Nina Chana
TELEPHONE:	01527 548241
EMAIL	nina.chana@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

Planning Application – 39 Parish Hill

Click on the link above
Type in the application number and click, this will take you to the summary page of Public
Access.
When at the summary page
To view the documents you will need to click on the tab, then
the .
To make a comment click on the tab,
Fill out your details and make your comment and press submit, this will go straight to the
relevant planning officer and be immediately viewable in the comments tab.
If you have provided an email you can request a confirmation email.

APPLICATION REFERENCE :	26/00508/FUL
APPLICATION TYPE:	Full Application
DATE ACCEPTED:	29.04.2026
LOCATION:	39 Parish Hill, Bournheath Worcestershire B61 9JH
PROPOSAL:	Full Planning Application for the erection of 4 detached dwelling houses and associated access.
APPLICANTS NAME:
PARISH COUNCIL:	Bournheath Parish
WARD:	Belbroughton And Romsley Ward
CASE OFFICER:	Sharron Williams
TELEPHONE:	01527 534061 Ext 3372
EMAIL	sharron.williams@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

What a morning at Foodie Fairfield!

Another brilliant Foodie Fairfield last Saturday, with, as always, a great atmosphere.

We were joined by two new stalls, The Rushock Flower Farmer & Wildmoos Dairy, who were pleased with their first visit to our community initiative, supporting artisan & local food producers.

Due to the rain, Wally Wombat was unable to perform his show in front of the village hall, he did meet the children inside the hall, they were happy to see him, and he gave them duelling swords modelled out of balloons.

Huge thanks to all our supporters, customers, traders (Cooksey Quality Meats, Nicola Cooks, Crafted Preserves, Fruitfields, The Secret Garden, Anil Samosas, The Rushock Flower Farmer, Wildmoos Dairy plus bread from Meadow Mill Bakery), and volunteers).

Our community shop will be back open on Wednesday (10 June) 1.30pm – 3.30pm.

Foodie Fairfield will be back 4th July, with a return of ‘Ukes on the Edge’ raising money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.

Planning Application – Yew Tree Farm

Click on the link above
Type in the application number and click, this will take you to the summary page of Public
Access.
When at the summary page
To view the documents you will need to click on the tab, then
the .
To make a comment click on the tab,
Fill out your details and make your comment and press submit, this will go straight to the
relevant planning officer and be immediately viewable in the comments tab.
If you have provided an email you can request a confirmation email.

APPLICATION REFERENCE :	26/00596/AGR
APPLICATION TYPE:	Agricultural Notification
DATE ACCEPTED:	18.05.2026
LOCATION:	Yew Tree Farm , Bournheath Road Fairfield Worcestershire B61 9HW
PROPOSAL:	Steel Portal Frame Agricultural Building for Machinery & Fodder Storage
APPLICANTS NAME:
PARISH COUNCIL:	Belbroughton Parish
WARD:	Belbroughton And Romsley Ward
CASE OFFICER:	David Kelly
TELEPHONE:	01527 881666
EMAIL	david.kelly@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

Warning: Giant Hogweed

Giant Hogweed has, once again, been spotted growing on the side of Sandy Lane, near the entrance to Wildmoor Quarry. Bromsgrove District Council have been notified.

Giant hogweed poses significant health risks due to its toxic sap, which can cause phytophotodermatitis—a severe skin reaction that occurs when the sap comes into contact with skin and is then exposed to sunlight. Symptoms can include severe burns, blistering, and long-lasting skin discoloration.

Tips for keeping your home safe this summer

During the hot weather people understandably like to have their windows and doors open, however this can make a home more vulnerable to intruders.

Here’s some advice to keep in mind during warmer weather:

· Ensure all windows and doors are locked when you leave the house – even if you’re only popping out for a few minutes!

· Make sure to lock away ladders at all times

· Keep front, patio and back doors closed and locked when you are elsewhere in the house or the garden

· Trimming hedges and trees at the front of your property removes opportunities for burglars to hide out of sight

· Consider growing prickly hedges or roses around the perimeter of your back garden – these are known as defensive plants and provide a level of deterrence

· Installing a dusk to dawn security light (at head height by front and back doors) – this increases levels of surveillance and will deter offenders

· Intruder alarm systems and CCTV will improve security – not to be replaced of basic security methods!

· Make sure to keep garden sheds and other outbuildings locked at all times

· Secure side gates and keep them well maintained with padlocks on

· Keep valuables out of sight and away from windows and doors

· Lock your bike away in a secure shed or garage

· Clear or hide heavy, loose debris from garden areas such as bricks, slabs etc. as these can be used to access your home

The West Mercia Police website offers further crime prevention advice:

Crime prevention advice | West Mercia Police

Neighbourhood Watch | West Mercia Police

You can also reply to this email if you have any questions, and I will get back in touch.

To report a crime follow the link below or call 101.

https://www.westmercia.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime

In an emergency, please call 999.

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