A REDUCTION in the number of board members, from 29 to as few as seven, is among the proposals to reshape the Malvern Hills Trust.

The charity, which manages the commons and is governed by the Malvern Hills Acts, is proposing a number of changes to that constitution, which are being put out for public consultation from Monday, September 2.

Among those proposed changes are a reduction in the number of board members to follow best practice guidelines from the Charity Commission, which recommends having between five and 12 trustees, with the optimum number being seven.

This is to make decision-making more efficient.

Duncan Bridges, CEO of the trust, said: “The arrangements for appointing board members are 95-years-old and they do not comply with current best practice for the appointment of charity trustees. We think the changes we are suggesting for the appointment of trustees are much fairer."

He added: "Since we were established in 1884, we’ve seen large societal, environmental and economic changes.

“We now need to update our acts to allow us to improve the way we care for this landscape, both now and in the future. The essence of the charity will not change and the hills and commons will still be open for the public to enjoy.

“The changes we are proposing are all about making the acts easier to understand, and giving the MHT the powers it needs when it comes to land management and fundraising."

The proposals are available for consultation from September 2 at malvernhills.org.uk. Paper copies can be requested. The consultation ends on Sunday October 13.