Residents
New Residents
If you have just moved into the area, the staff and board of the Malvern Hills Conservators would like to offer a warm welcome to you. There are some links on these pages that you may find useful, including a Good Neighbours Leaflet that summaries everything you may wish to know about us and your responsibilities living in this beautiful area of England.
Council Tax
The Conservators obtain the majority of their funding from a levy charged on the Council Taxpayers of Malvern, Malvern Wells, West Malvern, Colwall, Guarlford and Mathon. This levy is used by the Conservators to protect the land from being encroached upon by adjoining landowners, to keep the Land open for public recreation, to look after the wildlife and, as the majority of land under our ownership is common land, to look after the interests of commoners In recognition of the contribution you make, the Conservators give levy payers free parking at all their car parks. To take advantage of this you can obtain, for a small charge, an annual sticker to place on your windscreen from either the Tourist Information Office in Church Street or from the Conservators' office in Grange Road, Malvern.
Easement
Easements over the Common
These are tracks across the common. If you live in a house where there is an established track across the Conservators' land to your property, you are entitled to drive across the common using that route, but not to park on it. The upkeep of the track is the responsibility of the owners of the property who enjoy the facility. The occupiers of many properties have entered into a Deed of Grant with the Conservators which give the occupiers the legal right to the use of the track. If you wish to apply for an easement, there is a charge that is set following professional valuation. Download Application Form.
Easements under the Common
These are for underground services. You can apply to have additional services. At present the charge is £15 per metre with a minimum charge of £500. No charge is made for replacement supplies as long as the land is reinstated satisfactorily. Please advise the office before carrying out any work. Download Utilities Application Form
Common Rights
The majority of land managed by the Conservators is registered common land and is grazed by sheep. This includes the roadside verges that were part of the manorial waste from Malvern Chase. Common land is valued for its wildlife, historical significance and increasingly because of the amenity it provides as open countryside, or in more urban settings, as open space. As adjoining property owners you are responsible for your boundary fences which adjoin the common. Please do not be tempted to plant anything beyond your own boundary. Although there may not be sheep grazing at present, commoners can use their rights at any time.
Common Rights Defined
This is the right to take something from someone else's land and commons are the pieces of land over which common rights are exercised. The rights are regulated under the Commons Registration Act 1965. You can check whether your property has common rights by looking at your local Commons Register. These registers are kept by county councils and unitary authorities.
Parking Permits - Annual Pass for Residents
Council Tax payers in the town of Malvern, and the parishes of Colwall, Guarlford, Malvern Wells, Mathon and West Malvern are entitled to an annual concessionary car parking sticker at a cost of £2.00. The pass entitles the owner to park in any Malvern Hills Conservators Car Park any time of the year.
Stickers cover the period from 1st April to 31st March and are available from our office and The Tourist Information Office in Church Street.
You will be asked to provide your driving licence, council tax bill or some other item showing your address and you will need to know your car registration as this will be written on your pass.
Please note that businesses in those areas do not qualify.