YOU report (Malvern Gazette, October 21) that 150 people attended the exhibition of architects' designs for the old Wells House School and grounds.

This, I think, was a measure of the alarm felt locally for this large-scale proposal.

Despite the clever line-drawings and glossy photos designed to minimise the steepness of the site, the fact remains that any new building on the school grounds, the major part of which was latterly an orchard grazed by sheep, would run a coach and horses through the two major planning constraints in this area - the designations Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Malvern Wells Conservation Area.

If that were not enough, Malvern Hills District Council's Local Plan, which it spent years diligently compiling, clearly shows the grounds as open space and not land suitable for development. All this solid information is on the MHDC website, together with detailed maps.

The offered generosity of a new village hall (there are better sites on level ground) and possible old folks' home (most currently in financial difficulty) are merely the standard sort of sops developers use to divert attention from their main aim: to cash in on the current house price inflation and who cares about the ashphalting of the countryside, arc lighting and extra congestion on the A449 or lengthy disruption of traffic?

I am reliably informed by MHDC planning department that they will resolutely defend this designation and, further, will object to each and every one of the 117 exceptions to the Local Plan wanted by the developers throughout the district.

Meanwhile, we await Her Majesty's Inspectors' final verdict, expected before Christmas. Whatever the outcome, there is little doubt this unnecessary road and house-building in such a conspicuous place high on the hills would change the historic character of Malvern Wells.

C R CHEESEMAN, Wells Road, Malvern Wells.