Alvechurch Parish Council

General information

Introduction to Alvechurch

The Civil Parish of Alvechurch consists of three electoral wards Alvechurch, Hopwood and Rowney Green and Bordesley. Alvechurch ward comprises the village of Alvechurch and Withybed Green; the Hopwood ward includes the north half of Weatheroak, whilst the southern half is contained within the Rowney Green ward that also encompasses the Holloway and Grange Lane.
Sited within the Worcestershire district of Bromsgrove, Alvechurch is one of Bromsgroves 20 parishes and shares boundaries with Beoley, Wythall, Barnt Green, Cofton Hackett and Tutnall & Cobley Parishes. The parish also borders both the city of Birmingham and Redditch new-town and is therefore a vital part of the West Midlands Green Belt that serves as a buffer between conurbations.
The only part of the parish that is not covered by the Green Belt classification is the built-up area of Alvechurch village itself. The resultant restrictions on new building development in the Green Belt mean demand for new housing in the parish is high.

The Bromsgrove District Local Plan has identified parts of the parish as Landscape Protection Areas, Special Wildlife Sites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Alvechurch Village Centre is a designated Conservation Area, host to a number of listed buildings originating from the 15th century. The parish church of St Laurence is listed grade 11*.
The parish is host to good transport links of all types including (by road) the north/south A441 and the east/west M42, (by rail) the Redditch/Lichfield cross-city service, and (by canal) the Worcester Birmingham canal. The river Arrow flows from its source in the nearby Lickey Hills through the parish and out towards Alcester. The village of Alvechurch lies in a valley surrounded by Hob, Scarfield, Coopers, Hopwood, Wast, Weatheroak and Newbourne Hills.
Some employment in the parish is related to transport services, such as the Hopwood Park M42 motorway service area, the Alvechurch marina and the car manufacturing plant at Longbridge. The impact of the recent closure of the latter with the attendant changes to work patterns, social health and prosperity, has yet to be assessed.
The two schools in Alvechurch, Crown Meadow First School and Alvechurch Church of England Middle School, cater for children from Reception age to Year 8. Both schools and the library share a new site on Birmingham Road.