A NEW call has been made for cable cars on the Malvern Hills.

Think-tank High Street Malvern has called for the Malvern Hills Trust - formerly the Conservators - to be abolished.

It says the body which looks after the hills should be dissolved, and its Acts of Parliament revoked.

It says stewardship of the hills should be transferred to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the ultimate intention of considering national park status.

It also criticises the board’s financial status and its governance, and backs the controversial cable-car system proposed by the Malvern For All pressure group.

But the trust has hit back, saying the report contains a “large number of errors” and a “fundamental misunderstanding”.

HSM’s report describes the trust as “a form of governance very appropriate in 1884 when the first Malvern Hills Act was passed but overtaken by recent legislation”, and says it has “considerable overlap with the Malvern Hills AONB”.

It says: “Some time ago, it was recommended the acts should be consolidated. It was estimated the cost of carrying this out would exceed £1.5m.

It says that access to the hills is “one area where the trust is out of step with current legislation”.

“The board needs to look at alternative people movers which would have the effect of limiting path erosion and, at the same time providing a service. A proposal for a cable car was presented to the trust in 2013; it was not approved due to the limitations in the acts. Cable systems are the most environmentally friendly transport system – silent, cheap to operate and not damaging to the surroundings.

“The revenue from a cable car could make a substantial contribution to the trust’s finances.”

Trust chief executive Duncan Bridges said: “High Street Malvern did not contact us, nor MHDC or the AONB as part of its compilation.

“The document contains not only a large number of errors and misstatements, but also a fundamental misunderstanding of the trust’s financial position, duties and obligations as a charitable body established under its acts of parliament. It also fails to comprehend the many practical and legislative issues involved in managing the hills and commons. The trust does not accept the report nor any of the proposals put forward in its conclusion.”