Further to Paul Brightly's letter (February 7), I agree with what he had to say.

This council are a complete and utter shambles.

I have attended several planning meetings recently and every time we hear they cannot refuse a large-scale planning application because they are afraid that the council would be put into special measures and that they would have no control over planning.

This is an admission that they have already lost control.

The council and its planning department are more concerned with saving their own skins than safeguarding the future of the town and its surrounding area.

Through their incompetence there is no five-year building land supply, leaving them unwilling to stand up to anyone.

There are other local councils in the country who are even further behind in their five-year plans, yet this does not prevent them from standing up to the bullying tactics of the greedy landowners, developers, and worst of all central government.

Our council are making planning decisions on financial grounds, and not based on planning issues.

Sitting in their ivory towers, they see all the short-term financial incentives these large-scale developments have to offer, and then the steady flow of council tax that would go into their coffers.

Has anyone else noted the record our council has with Cala Homes? They are currently building in Rushwick (a decision won on appeal), they have somehow managed to get planning permission to build in Leigh Sinton, and they are appealing a refusal to build in Upton-on-Severn.

All three controversial planning applications were supported by the planning department of the district council, despite passionate and justifiable local objection.

The arrogance of Cala Homes knows no bounds. They are riding roughshod over the people of the Malvern area.

Despite what they profess, they do not care about the local communities they are damaging.

They have seemingly discovered an extremely rich supply of building land, something Malvern Hills District Council are unable to do, and know that any application they make will go unopposed by a spineless district council.

If we were shareholders in a public company, we would have been able to propose a motion of no confidence in the board of directors.

Sadly, we have no such option.

The next election cannot come soon enough, and we will see how many of the present council get re-elected.

George Pribojac

Leigh Sinton