SIR - It is astonishing to read in the Malvern Town Council newsletter that one of the highest priorities of the council is "to ensure that cemetery space in the town will be available in the future" and that "in less than 18 months Malvern Cemetery will have no more space for burials".

As a matter of record, this is hardly news. Back in 1999, the then town councillors investigated long term viability of the cemetery and were told that an extension, using adjacent allotment land off Madresfield Road, was needed so that "first burials could take place in January 2008".

Councillors were warned that preparation work on the extension site needed to be started no later than 2004 for the new land to be prepared and landscaped by 2008. They were warned about the likely costs and a majority of councillors supported the idea that an increased precept should be used to build financial reserves for the work and for the timely acquisition of replacement land for the allotment users.

Town councillors want to take over public open space in Malvern Link for allotment gardeners displaced from Madresfield Road.

The town council appears now not to have enough financial reserves needed to buy fertile new allotment land. Supporters of the Malvern Town Action Group (MTAG) howled out the message in the 2003 election that they would cut the council precept because it was much too high and their supporters swept to power on this message.

The precept has been cut year by year as MTAG supporters promised. And the town councillors now tells us in their newsletter that they are "very concerned about the timescale" and that "land is likely to be costly".

It will take four years to prepare a new site so it seems certain that burials in Malvern will cease in 2008.

Such is the price that the people of Malvern will pay for the short-term policies of the councillors supporting the MTAG controlled council.

Graham Myatt, Former Mayor of Malvern, Malvern.