IT is shocking to see how many more houses will be built over the next few years. An extra 8,590 new homes in the Malvern Hills area.

What about the empty houses? Surely they can be refurbished or repaired? Okay, some new houses may be necessary, but not 8,590!

What needs to happen is house prices need to come down so more people can get on the property ladder.

There are so many properties out there to rent, but even these are not always affordable to the younger adults leaving home.

Developers are crafty, as all new developments have to offer some affordable housing, which is normally council housing.

So that's exactly what they do, creating more and more built up areas. We already suffer more flooding and more houses will not help.

Villages will all start to merge into each other. So Powick, Welland and Newland will disappear.

At a time of major cutbacks to health, public services and social services I can't see how those services will cope. In fact, they can't.

Maybe local residents could start legal action to protect land from development. If enough residents come together that is a possibility.

It is very sad to see the slow demise of beautiful green areas and wildlife.

I will certainly not vote for any councillors who have supported the South Worcestershire Development Plan.

I wholly support all those who fight to protect the land from developers.

Karen Surridge

Malvern