MALVERN Hills District Council is to go ahead with a seven-week public consultation on sites for gypsies and travellers in the county.

At a meeting on Tuesday, members voted 17-13 with one abstention to go ahead with the consultation, despite vociferous objections from residents of Bastonford and Kempsey, two of the villages proposed for the sites.

The proposed sites are at Welland Road, Upton, Mountain View, Bastonford, Willows End, Guarlford, and Main Road, Kempsey. In a last-minute amendment, it was announced that the Kempsey site will be reserved for travelling showpeople only, not gypsies or travellers.

About 60 members of the public crowded into the council chamber off Avenue Road, Malvern, mainly from Kempsey and Bastonford.

Residents and parish councillors from Kempsey said that the proposed site off the A38 has completely inadequate access, no services such as sewerage and gas, and is too far from amenities such as the school, shop and doctor's surgery, as well as suffering flood problems.

Resident Simon Bott said: "The A38 is extremely busy and is an alternative route when the M5 has problems," while Bob Bowley said that at times, the road is "almost impossible to cross".

James Mowcroft of Bastonford said that planning applications for the gypsy site had been twice rejected by district council planners, decisions which were both upheld at appeal, and the site was therefore totally unsuitable.

Coun Anthony Warburton said: "Bastonford most clearly cannot be regarded as sustainable, and should not be included in these allocation proposals. To do so would directly conflict with the findings of two planning inspectors and, as importantly, defy common sense."

Portfolio holder Melanie Baker urged all those who had objections to make them during the consultation period.

If it is approved by Worcester City Council and Wychavon District Council, it will be put out to consultation from February to April.