Lords change controversial Malvern Hills Bill

Major amendments have been made to a controversial bill on how the Malvern Hills is managed, after a backlash from residents.

A House of Lords committee told the Malvern Hills Trust, which put forward the private bill, that it must be forced to consult more widely before proposing any future changes to rights of public access around the historic site.

Peers have also told the organisation it must have eight elected trustees, instead of six, to ensure more democratic accountability.

Fifty petitions were lodged against the Malvern Hills Bill, with the committee saying it was "a number which we believe to be unprecedented in recent times".

The committee also rejected a bid from the trust to change the wording of its guiding legislation, saying the reference to keeping the hills "unenclosed" must stay in the bill rather than be taken out.

A House of Lords spokesman said: "The committee said the promoter of the bill had not made a sufficiently strong case for the changes it proposed."

The trust, previously known as the Conservators, was first established in 1884 to protect and manage the hills and nearby land.

Residents have mounted a long-running campaign against the bill's changes, saying they were concerned about it watering down historic protections over the land.

The trust wanted to reduce its number of trustees from 29 to 12 - and the committee agreed it could do so - but was told that eight of those must be elected and four could be appointed, instead of a six/six split.

In its findings the committee also criticised the trust for a lack of effective consultation.

It said: "The committee notes that there was a substantial body of opposition to the bill among local people, and a feeling that no effective consultation was undertaken by the Malvern Hills Trust."

The trust will still be under a legal duty to prevent encroachments onto the hills, to "preserve the land as open spaces free from enclosure and building", and to maintain the "natural aspect" of the site.

The trust responded to the concern by publishing an explanation on its website, and insisted the land would remain open, unbuilt on and free to access.

It also said its duties and powers are set out in five Malvern Hills Acts, the oldest dating back to 1884, which needed updating into one piece of law.

David Core, vice chairman and chair of governance of the trust, said: "We welcome that the committee has accepted the need for the bill and endorsed the case for modernising the trust's governance.

"As with every private bill that passes through Parliament, there will be changes that need to be made to balance the needs and views of different people – indeed, that is the point of Parliament.

"We accept the amendments in that spirit and will continue to work openly with locals, levy-payers, representative bodies and users of the hills as the bill progresses."

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