A MALVERN estate has beaten competition from 20 other areas in Worcestershire to qualify for backing to turn it into a Home Zone.

The area around Duke of Edinburgh Way was selected from a shortlist drawn up by Worcestershire County Council, along with an estate in Droitwich.

A total of 22 areas across the county had originally been identified as possibilities for the project, including Lower Road, West Malvern.

The council is hoping to win central government cash in order to create two Home Zone areas, where street furniture, trees and road layout are re-organised to make the road more appealing to cyclists and pedestrians.

Maggie Clark, sustainable transport manager at the county council, said: "We can't promise anything but there has been a lot of support for the bids at local level and we don't want to lose that enthusiasm. The parish council in West Malvern was particularly supportive."

It will be known by Christmas whether or not the bid has been successful.