Wychavon () is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. The largest towns in the district are Evesham and Droitwich Spa; the council is based in the town of Pershore. The district also includes numerous villages and surrounding rural areas, and includes part of the Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The district's name references the Saxon Kingdom of Hwicce and the River Avon. The population in 2024 was 138,017.
The neighbouring districts are Malvern Hills, Worcester, Wyre Forest, Bromsgrove, Redditch, Stratford-on-Avon, Cotswold, and Tewkesbury.
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History
The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
Droitwich Municipal Borough
Droitwich Rural District (except parish of Warndon, which went to Worcester)
Evesham Municipal Borough
Evesham Rural District
Pershore Rural District (except parish of St Peter the Great County, which went to Worcester)
The name Wychavon was coined for the new district. "Wych" phonetically recalls the Saxon Kingdom of Hwicce, and "Avon" is for the River Avon.
Abolition
Under current local government reorganisation plans, all district councils in Worcestershire, as well as the county council, will be abolished in 2028, with the district forming part of a new South Worcestershire unitary authority, also including the area of the Worcester and Malvern Hills districts.
Governance
Wychavon District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Worcestershire County Council. The whole district is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.
Since 2014 the council has shared a chief executive and other staff with neighbouring Malvern Hills District Council.
Political control
The council has been under Conservative majority control since 1999.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:
Leadership
The leaders of the council since 1999 have been:
Composition
Following the 2023 election, and subsequent changes of allegiance up to August 2026, the composition of the council was:
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 43 councillors representing 27 wards, each electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.
Premises
The council is based at Pershore Civic Centre on Queen Elizabeth Drive, which was purpose-built for the council in 1991. The council also maintains offices in Droitwich and Evesham.
Civil parishes
The whole district is divided into 73 civil parishes, of which 66 have parish councils and 7 have parish meetings. The parish councils for Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Pershore have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Broadway is a post town, but has not been declared a town by its parish council. The Wychavon district includes the following civil parishes: