THERE are two related aspect to Walton Marine Sales Ltd's proposed development. The first is a doubling of the capacity of Upton Marina by excavation in an adjacent riverside field. The second is the building of a "Holiday Village".

This latest outline planning application represents the largest and most controversial yet submitted concerning the Upton area.

A revised version, submitted shortly before a meeting on December 18, was considered by Malvern Hills District Council's southern area planning committee.

If the plan is approved, completion of the project will take between from 10 to 15 years.

Walton Marine Sales Ltd has applied to construct 43 lodges, 60 apartments and a further 120 moorings for boats. In virtually any other environmentally and scenically sensitive area in the county, an application of this magnitude is unlikely to have been conceived, let alone submitted.

Already, there have been at least 109 letters of objection and 104 signatures to a petition against the outline plans. By contrast, 16 letters of support have been received by the planning department.

On December 18, MHDC planning officers recommended that outline planning permission be refused. The planning committee did not accept this recommendation. Consultations between the officers and applicants have therefore continued.

The latest plan confirms the scope of the development application remains essentially unchanged.

A lively and informed meeting called by Upton Civic Society and chaired by county councillor Bob Bullock on Friday, February 28, was attended by 143 members of the public. During the two-hour meeting, 30 questions were asked and answered by the experts present, and comments made.

Only three of these inputs from the audience were in favour of the development going ahead as in the application.

At the conclusion of the meeting the suggestion that the southern area planning committee reconsider its position, commanded virtually unreserved support. It is possible to facilitate development of the site in a way that combines this with protection of the environmental and scenic aspects of the area. This can be achieved by allowing the extended Marina basin to be constructed.

The 120 additional boat moorings would generate significant income and activity on the site. The quid pro quo for very valuable planning approval requires that the apartments and chalets either be dramatically reduced in number or their construction completely rejected.

The grounds for this are that such building comprises an intrusive and damaging over-development of the site.

By virtue of their planning powers, councillors hold our countryside in trust on behalf of visitors, residents, their children and grandchildren. In summary, extra boats, yes; new apartments and chalets, no.

Peter D Pumfrey, Newbridge Green, Upton-upon-Severn.