Protect Malvern (From Ledbury Reporter)

Protect Malvern

6:50pm Monday 30th April 2012 in Letters

I AM sure many readers of the Gazette are unclear as to what the South Worcestershire Development Plan is!

It is a planning body created by three district councils – Malvern Hills, Worcester City and Wychavon – created with the purpose of producing an overall plan to run up to 2030.

In doing this the plans for housing development ignore the very special nature of the Malvern Hills – not only to its residents, but also to the many many thousands of tourists and visitors who love the special nature of the hills and their surroundings.

The original Malvern Hills Conservators acted to save the hills for future generations. Views of open land to the east of the hills were included in 1957 into the Malvern Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to protect them from development.

The SWDP now proposes housing development on two sites in this area of natural beauty. Is our generation so Philistine that we are unable to protect a unique area that has been the inspiration to so many artists, and ordinary people? Is our legacy to future generations going to be views of housing estates and a precedent to destroy Malvern’s essence?

PETER WALTER
Malvern