A PROPOSAL to add Malvern’s name to a small elite list of town and parish councils across Worcestershire awarded special quality status has received unanimous support from members of the town council.

Malvern Town Council is already meeting most of the requirements to qualify for the status but will have to create a planning committee to ensure it meets all criteria.

At a meeting of the town’s full council members voted unanimously to support a bid to achieve quality status.

Chairman of the council Caroline Bovey said: “It is marvellous. It is something that has the backing of the whole council. We did get quite a long way down the line a couple of years ago. It is really just the lack of a planning committee in the way.

“There is a feeling among councillors that we should have a planning committee anyway. We would have a bit more of a say in planning issues, especially with the prospect of more houses coming to Malvern. It is a big issue.”

She said a member of the public had attended the meeting and spoken about the lack of civic pride in Malvern and that the council needed to move forward.

Ms Bovey added: “From the council’s point of view it is one of those things that if you have it, there may be opportunities for grant funding in the future which the council would miss out on otherwise. It is a matter of keeping the door open for the opportunities in the future.

“I am sure quality councils are recognised more by other councils than those that do not have it. There is work to be done now to get it but we will try to get there as quickly as we can.”