CALLS are being made for a motorway junction in Malvern - in the hope an 'exit 7A' could solve south Worcestershire's congestion problems for a generation.

Pressure is being applied to decision-makers to find "more imaginative" solutions to easing the jams, including either an M5 junction to serve the town or a Powick bypass.

The suggestion has come from Councillor Tom Wells, who says he fears the county is "throwing good money after bad" by focusing on the A4440 Southern Link Road.

At the moment people trying to reach Malvern from the M5 tend to exit at junction seven, near Worcester, and head across the busy Carrington Bridge.

Councillor Wells said: "If you asked people around Powick about the things which are happening to speed up traffic, I don't think the reaction would be entirely positive.

"Has any thought been given to an M5 junction at Malvern?

"It strikes me that we may be throwing good money after bad with the Southern Link Road when a better, more imaginative solution may be a new junction."

He says he has not considered a likely location for it, other than saying it should "serve Malvern", and insists the landscape must be protected if it ever got the go-ahead.

Chris Marks, from the Great Malvern Association of Traders, said: "I take my hat off to Tom for asking these questions, if it's asked we can have that debate even if the answer is no.

"From a tourism perspective we'd welcome anything to increase access into Malvern if it was done the right way.

"It's always worth looking at alternatives, I guess the counter to that would be what would it look like and where would it go."

But bosses at Worcestershire's Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which is taking the lead with the county council on delivering new roads, says it would be difficult to achieve.

The LEP has drawn up a 'wish list' for £280 million worth of Government funding by 2021, which includes cash to dual the entire A4440 Southern Link Road but not a new M5 junction.

Gary Woodman, executive director at the LEP, said junction 7A is "either decades away or not affordable" in the era of more restrained public sector spending.

"The motorway is a national service, and more exits are therefore frowned upon," he said.

"And the costs to do that, compared to dualling Carrington Bridge, means it becomes sensible for us to try and dual that element."

Fierce lobbying is going on with central Government to try and secure £70 million to dual the Carrington Bridge.

West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin said: "We need to be realistic about what is achievable and may one day be affordable.

“My priority has been to lobby for 21st century transport infrastructure - to dual the Carrington bridge and improve traffic flow from junction seven towards Worcester and Malvern, as well as a much better Cotswold Line service and the creation of Worcestershire Parkway which will encourage people to use rail services more, taking pressure off the congested road network."