PLANS for a street party in Belle Vue Terrace, Malvern, to celebrate the birth of the royal baby were this week dashed by district councillors.

Town centre event organisers wanted to repeat the stunning success of last year’s jubilee party, which saw thousands throng to the terrace. But on Tuesday night, Malvern Hills District Council voted not to approve a request to close the road on Bank Holiday Monday after hearing the police and the county council highways department opposed it.

The police statement said “We feel there are more viable alternative locations in the town centre” while the highways authority noted last year’s closure was only approved as a one-off for the jubilee. John Williams, the council's head of policy and governance, told members that, given the police and highways advice, the council could be held liable if any accidents occurred as a result of the closure, even if the organisers have taken out their own insurance.

Priory ward members Hannah Campbell and Roger Hall Jones called on their colleagues to approve the closure, with Coun Hall Jones recalling occasions, from the Milk Race in the 1980s to last year’s party, when the road was closed with no problems.

But when the named vote was taken, 14 voted for the closure and 20 against, though several voting against said they did so reluctantly.

Anna Brooke of organiser Pulse Great Malvern, which was set up earlier this year to make the town centre more attractive and vibrant, said: “We respect the decision of the councillors and recognise this was a very difficult decision for them to make. However, this doesn’t mean we won’t be looking for alternatives.”

Coun Campbell said: “The councillors were caught between a rock and a hard place. They wanted to support local traders but because of the insurance issue they felt they couldn’t.”