THE news the district council is negotiating the sale of the former treasurer's site at the junction of Albert Road North and Church Street will be greeted with despair by those of us who see it as yet another threat to the essential character of Great Malvern.

It almost beggars belief that plans are being drawn up for 44 social housing units to be erected on this comparatively modest site which is, after all, in a Conservation Area.

Incidentally, the sole object of a Conservation Area is to protect the existing landscape and "small-scale developments are only allowed which are essential to meet local community needs".

The word "essential" is very pertinent here because the demand for social housing in Malvern has fallen substantially in recent years, to approximately 20 per cent of that five years ago.

If planing permission is granted, the environmental impact would be dire. There are several outstanding mature trees on this site which would be threatened.

I have tried to take out Preservation Orders on them but have been told planning permission would take precedence over such orders and we all know the number of trees that were destroyed to make way for Waitrose.

At present, there are up to 55 vehicles a day parked on this site. Where will they go when the development takes place? Long-stay car parking is already a nightmare on all the surrounding residential roads.

Malvern Civic Society has already written to the council to say that this car park should not be lost and supports the view that it should be turned into a long-stay car park for the general public.

Furthermore, the Conservatives took control of the MHDC at last year's local elections.

In their manifesto they stated: "We want to encourage better use of the off-street parking to reduce the level of on-street parking in residential streets around the town centre".

So what are our elected councillors going to do to stop this nonsense? The proposed car park at the rear of Belle Vue Terrace will have no impact on those who work and park in the lower part of the town.

The former treasurer's site is the last area in Great Malvern that could be used to solve the long-term parking problems. We lose it at our peril.

RICHARD & CHERRY SPRACKLING, Victoria Road, Malvern.