MALVERN Town Council has decided not to support the initiative for Malvern to become a fully-accredited transition town.

The Transition Malvern group was set up in autumn last year to help the town deal with the problems posed by climate change and peak oil.

At a meeting of the town council on Tuesday, Chase ward member Chris Dyer put forward a motion that the council supports the initiative.

He said: "To become an accredited Transition Town requires that the local community group meets 16 criteria, one of which is to develop a potentially strong relationship with its local council.

"I think it would be a strange council that could not bring itself to support an initiative undertaken by local volunteers, at their own expense, that seeks to improve “the impacts of peak oil and climate change.”

But other council members said they could not support the proposal without knowing more about it.

Cllr Adrian Ward said: "We are being asked to give uncondtional support to an organisation that we know little about. We should wait, look at it again perhaps in 12 months' time when it's clearer what work this group is doing."

Cllr Dyer's was voted down five to two, with three abstentions.

Will Tooby, organiser of the group, said: "It's a missed opportunity. Peak oil and climate change are huge potential issues. I'd be very happy to help the councillors understand more about what we do."