THE Mayor of Malvern is urging residents of the town and the surrounding area to have their say on the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP).

Malvern Town Council has set up a public meeting at Malvern Theatres tonight (Monday, October 24) and Coun Ian Hopwood says this is the chance for local people to make their feeling known about the plan.

The plan will provide a framework for development in the area over the next 20 years, setting out where new housing and employment should be located.

Malvern Hills District Council has been working with Worcester City and Wychavon councils to prepare a preferred options document for the plan.

Coun Hopwood said: "We've set this up because the town council is one of the official consultees for the plan, and we want to give the general public the chance to speak.

"We want the district council to listen, and to take note of the concerns of the public."

The plan currently says that 1,124 new homes should be built in Malvern, 700 of them on land at the edge of town at Newland. A further 250 are planned for land which currently forms part of the QinetiQ site off St Andrew's Road.

Coun Hopwood said that many people were concerned about infrastructure, particularly roads, and feared an increase in congestion.

The meeting is at the Forum at 7pm and Coun Hopwood wants as many people as possible to take part. "It's not just for people who live within the town of Malvern,. Residents of other parishes are equally concerned, and they will be equally welcome on Monday.

"Everything that is said, everyone's worries and ideas, will be passed on to the district council as part of the town council's consultation.”

*Worries about infrastructure were echoed at a public meeting on Monday, October 17, held by county councillor Penelope Morgan.

About 30 people came to Holy Trinity church hall, Link Top, to voice their concerns. Many said that Malvern's roads, and links to Worcester and the M5 were already congested, and that extra housing will make the situation intolerable.

Mike Everitt of Madresfield said the only solution was to insist that infrastructure improvements were in place before large-scale development is allowed.

And Coun Clive Smith said housing should not be concentrated in large edge-of-town developments, but should be dispersed among villages.

He said: "Small-scale growth in villages will keep the local post offices open and keep the local schools open."

Coun Morgan urged everyone to lobby district councillors and MPs to make their voices heard about the SWDP.