THIS week Malvern Hills District Council published details of the two bids for the future management of Malvern Theatres.

So begins a consultation process which is due to end with a vote being taken by the full council on September 24.

This is a consultation process we don't believe should be taking place at all.

The council also said this week that it would not tell us the cost of a report into the management of the Theatres carried out last year by consultant Alun Bond.

The reason given was that this report was the start of a process and things had moved on since then.

Too right, the point is things should never have been allowed to move on in the light of what we understand to have been Mr Bond's conclusion that the theatre is currently well managed and operates with one of the lowest council grants anywhere in the country.

We can't tell you exactly what the conclusions of this report were because the council refuse to make it public although your money was used to pay for it.

Councillors should have been invited to debate the principle of seeking alternative management for Malvern Theatres before this report was ever commissioned. There is no reason why they should have to take a vote on September 24, they could, and we think should, seek to stop this whole process now before any more money is spent.