VISITORS to Malvern could be transported from the town centre to St Ann's Well in a tractor-pulled land train, if a proposal by Malvern Hills Conservators goes ahead.

The train would be a modern replacement for the donkeys which visitors used to ride up the hills in Victorian times.

A tractor pulling carriages, similar to the lands trains used at The Eden Project, in Cornwall, was not a popular idea with all members at a Conservators' board meeting last Thursday (January 12).

Sue Thetford said: "I would actually be utterly upset if there was a train going up to St Ann's Well. I think that's really Blackpool.

"We've got lovely hills and I don't think we need a toy town train going up them."

The comments came after chairman Bryan Smith outlined the Conser-vators' draft forward strategy for the next 10 years.

Board members John Raine and Brian Wilcock both felt the land train plan was too definite and should be described only as a possibility in the draft document.

John Redman, proprietor of the St Ann's Well caf, said anything that made the beautiful hillside more attractive to visitors was a good idea.

However, he felt introducing the land train would bring practical difficulties, such as planning and public liability problems.

"It's a nice idea, but it's never going to happen," he said.

Other ideas include banning mountain bikers from riding on ancient monuments, such as the Shire Ditch, reintroducing scrub burning and employing more wardens to enforce by-laws and reduce anti-social behaviour. Extending grazing on the hills, with the Conservators buying extra stock if more commoners cannot be found, and restoring Victorian walking routes with uninterrupted views across the Severn Plain are other proposals.

Dr Smith stressed the plan aimed to both promote and protect Conser-vators' land but that nothing it contained was yet certain.

The board agreed to adopt the draft strategy, which will be circulated to other relevant organisations before a public consultation begins.