HOSTILITY to the installation of cattle grids was shown at the end of a public meeting in Welland.

On Monday night there were around 60 people at Welland Village Hall to debate the idea. Members of the partnership proposing the scheme, including Malvern Hills Conservators, Worcestershire Highways Partnership, the AONB and English Nature, fielded questions.

Some spoke in favour of the proposals, including a commoner who grazes animals on the land, but a straw poll at the end of the meeting revealed a ratio of four to one against the introduction of cattle grids.

One resident said cattle that currently graze the common in winter churned up the ground already and that more should not be introduced.

Dangers posed to horses and cyclists were mentioned, as were the signs and fencing that would need to accompany the grids and the noise of traffic crossing them.

Alternative suggestions included generating money to maintain the common through tourism revenue or including Welland householders among those who pay Conservators' rates in their Council Tax.

Conservators' director Ian Rowat outlined the reasoning behind the grid installation scheme. He warned that the spread of trees and scrub across common and hills over recent years threatened to spoil future generations' enjoyment of them and destroy their capacity as a haven for rare species.

The grids are intended to encourage more people to keep sheep and cattle on the land, which would eat scrub and seedlings and maintain open grassland.