LAST Tuesday night I could have stayed in and wasted an hour of my life watching the so-called celebrities in the jungle.

Instead I wasted five hours by going to the MHDC meeting at the Bank House convened to discuss the SWDP.

I witnessed a fine display of procedural ineptitude, confused arguments, muddled thinking and partisan point scoring.

Some councillors, led by a sketchy vision of what they perceive as a better future for Malvern, chose to wilfully disregard both the late stage in the procedure and professional advice to adopt the SWDP, voting on motions, some of which, did not seem to make grammatical sense.

Councillor Smith managed in the space of 30 seconds to quote two US presidents (trying on some very big boots there…) to support his argument for rejection.

As Worcester City and Wychavon prepare to go their own way he may wish to ponder the words of another distinguished American – “If we do not hang together, most assuredly we shall all hang separately”.

The council had better get a move on and come up with some sensible and tested proposals before the deadline at the end of March next year.

If, by default, Malvern falls into the National Planning Policy Framework and is consequently subject to the tender ministrations of the developers, the council will not readily be forgiven.

IAN TOPHAM

Malvern