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THE campaign to discourage the use of throwaway plastic shopping bags has received the backing of Malvern Town Council - but only just.

At a meeting on Tuesday, members voted 8-7 to support initiatives to reduce the supply and use of plastic bags in the town.

The motion was proposed by chairman Mike Selby and seconded by cllr Pat Merrick. Vice-chairman Caroline Bovey supported it, saying. "These plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes, but they take 400 years to break down."

But other members were more sceptical, with cllr Freda Johnson saying such a thing was not the town council's job,. and cllr Paul Tuthill warning: "We have to be careful not to be too much like the nanny state."

The campaign is gathering momentum, with the Great Malvern Association of Trade last week announcing that it is working on designing a durable, spacious and environmentally-friendly alternative, to be sold in town centre shops.

And on Saturday, Moorlands Road residents Veronica and Richard Edwards, held a successful action day in Barnards Green promoting the alternatives.

Joined by Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Richard Burt, they visited every shop in the Green and spoke to the owners or managers about the issue.

"What we heard was really encouraging," said Mrs Edwards. "We got the strong feeling that most of them want to change, and some have already.

"We came away feeling really heartened, and I think we ought to flag up Barnards Green as a part of Malvern that's really making an effort."

2:06pm Thursday 7th February 2008

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