Food Waste Action Week

This week is Food Action Week – do you ever think about how much food you throw away? How much is it costing you? What is the impact it is having on the environment? Recent analysis of the contents of an average black wheelie bin in the county showed that 35% of the waste put in it by residents was food. The survey also found more than 40% was still in its packaging.

You can take the Love Food Hate Waste quiz to find out more about how you can waste less food and save money too.

Council Tax levels

You will soon be receiving your council tax bill for the year ahead. 

You pay Council Tax to several different organisations – Worcestershire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia, Wyre Forest District Council, Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority and your Town/Parish Council. We collect the money and pass it on to these other organisations. 

This year we have increased our portion of your bill by just under 3% which means the average householder in a Band D property will pay £236.21 for the whole year of our services in 2022-23. The majority of homes in the district fall into Bands A-C and will pay even less than this.

Grants for your celebrations

Are you planning a celebration for the King’s Coronation? You may be able to apply for a grant from our King’s Coronation Celebration Fund. Local groups can apply for between £100 and £500 for their project or activity. The funding is open to community, charity and residents’ groups. Deadline for applications is Friday 31 March.

Great British Spring Clean

We are taking part in the Great British Spring Clean this month. It is organised by Keep Britain Tidy and is the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign. We will be working with staff and volunteers to organise litter picks around the district between Friday 17 March and Sunday 2 April. You can get involved too, you can pledge to pick up a bag of litter or more!

Download new parking app - MiiPermit

From next month (Saturday 1 April) we are going to be changing the app used to pay for parking in our car parks. We will be using MiPermit instead of JustPark. MiPermit is being used by other councils in Worcestershire. It is easy to use, means you don’t need to buy a ticket in the car park and you can purchase a stay up to 7 days in advance. You can extend the parking time without returning to the car and the app also helps us reduce the number of pay and display tickets being printed. There is a 10p charge for the using the app. We are not increasing parking charges this April. We are introducing a handy 30 minute rate and also an overnight parking charge.

Be a councillor

Are you considering standing to become a councillor in the next local elections in May and want to know more? There are two events coming up. Tomorrow (Tuesday 7 March 2023, 12pm to 1pm) The Electoral Commission is hosting a pre-election webinar for candidates and their agents taking part in elections in England on 4 May. On Wednesday 22 March 2023 we are holding a training session to provide you with all the guidance and support you need to stand as a candidate or act as an agent. It is in the Bewdley and Stourport rooms at Wyre Forest House, Finepoint Way, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 7WF at 10am. It will last between one and two hours.

Are you registered to vote?

Anyone who has not already registered to vote must do so by midnight on Monday 17 April.  It is quick and easy to do online.  Voters can also vote by post or proxy. Anyone can apply for a postal vote which allows voters much greater flexibility about when they complete their ballot paper.  Anyone not already registered for a postal or proxy vote will need to complete an application form, which is available on our website The deadline for new postal voting requests is 5pm on Tuesday 18 April.  For proxy votes it is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April. 

Voter ID

To vote in at a polling station you will need to show photo ID. You may already have an acceptable form of photo ID like a passport, driving licence or blue badge. If you don’t you can apply for a free voter ID document known as a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC). The deadline for this is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April. There is more information about the forms of ID you can use and how to apply for a VAC on the Electoral Commission’s website.

Solar Together Worcestershire

Registration is open for a few more days for Solar Together Worcestershire. This is a group-buying scheme for solar panels and battery storage.  If you already have solar panels, you can store your unused solar energy with battery storage. The scheme is available to Worcestershire households, SME businesses and community groups. Through group buying they promise competitive price, high-quality products and installations and an easy process. It is free to register and there is no obligation to take up the offer. The deadline to register is Friday 10 March.

Bewdley Housing Needs Survey

Do you live in Bewdley or have any family members who have moved away and may be looking to move back?  We are carrying out an important survey to help us get a better understanding of local people's housing needs. We will also be holding drop-in sessions for questions or help completing the survey. These are on:

Tuesday 7 March 9am-1pm - Quaker Meeting House, Lower Park, Bewdley DY12 2DP
Thursday 9 March 9am-5pm - The Severn Room, St Georges Hall, Load St, Bewdley DY12 2EQ
Thursday 23 March 9am-5pm - The Severn Room, St Georges Hall, Load St, Bewdley DY12 2EQ

The survey closes on Wednesday 12 April at 5pm.

The museum has now fully reopened following its winter break. There is a packed programme of events for 2023. They include a production of David Walliams’ Bad Dad, a murder mystery evening,  an outdoor theatre production of ‘MacHamLear’, and the annual Cherry Fair. The museum is also joining in with the celebrations for the King’s Coronation. On Monday, May 8 there will be a performance by Bewdley Concert Band in the gardens.

Francis Dodd exhibition

We are opening our 2023 season with an exhibition showcasing etchings by Francis Dodd (1874-1949). The etchings, which are part of the Bewdley Museum Collection will be on display in the Wyre Forest Gallery. Dodd is best known as an official war artist during the First World War, but this exhibition features portraits of his friends, landscapes and cities.

The exhibition runs until Sunday 16 April.

Easter activities

The children’s craft activities will be running again during the school Easter holidays. Come along to make bunting and t-shirts for the coronation or Easter themed projects – there is a different activity each day. The sessions are running between 10.30am and 2.30pm and cost £6 per child per activity. All children must be supervised by a parent or carer.