MALVERN HIlls District Council has confirmed it will provide grants totalling almost £90,000 to refurbish and upgrade the town’s historic gas lamps.
Malvern Town Council will receive £10,250, Malvern Wells council £52,725 and West Malvern council £24,440 to pay for work that will make the gas lamps much more economical to run.
Negotiations between the councils began after MHDC announced it would no longer provide a 50 per cent grant towards annual running and maintenance costs.
However the upgrades, which will be completed this year, mean the town and parish councils will be able to meet these costs without assistance in future.
Noting the decision at MHDC’s executive committee meeting on Tuesday (February 15), Coun Ralph Madden, responsible for resources, said: “It has taken us some time to get here but I believe we have got the right result and I think everyone can be very satisfied with this conclusion.”
And Malvern Town Council chairman Paul Tuthill told members: “On behalf of the three parishes I am grateful that we have reached a very favourable outcome.”
Malvern Town Council owns 20 gas lamps, Malvern Wells 48 and West Malvern 25. MHDC owns 23 lamps, and these will also be upgraded.
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