AS a member of the town centre regeneration partnership set up by Malvern Hills District Council, we are at a loss to understand how the council's actions relate to its stated aims of supporting the economic growth of Great Malvern.

Added to its decision to close some town centre public toilets, we now have the council putting an end to free parking in its car parks after 6pm.

Most local towns and cities permit this as a small encouragement to creating a flourishing evening economy, but not Malvern Hills. Our council doesn't even consider this decision important enough to have a proper debate.

The item was simply voted through as part of the council's budget and worded in such a way in the agenda that we doubt many councillors even knew what they had voted for until the notices started to go up this week.

The charges involved are not big, but it's the message it sends out, and that is 'we don't want you (although we would quite like your money)!'

On the subject of the toilets, an email leaked to us this week reveals that the council's ruling Lib Dem group are not even willing to engage in a proper debate.

Coun Clive Smith exhorts his colleagues to turn out and "bury this once and for all". If they believe so strongly that it is the right thing to do, why don't they have the courage to argue their case and let elected councillors make up their own minds?

Coun Smith says it's vital the Lib Dem group maintains the confidence that it can deliver. He should be asking himself the question, is it delivering what the voters voted for?